Science Memes

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the mad hatter (mander.xyz)

submitted 4 weeks ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 16 points 4 weeks ago (8 children)

That doesn’t make sense, caterpillars don’t mate. So why have a display like this? Or does this scare off predators somehow?

[–] [email protected] 41 points 4 weeks ago (2 children)

But why undertake this elaborate millinery? One study published in 2016 investigated this question by holding trials involving the caterpillars and their natural predators — spiders and stink bugs. The researchers found that attacks on larvae with a stack of headcases took more than 10 times longer than attacks on larvae that had had their stack removed. They found that the empty head capsules acted as a false target for predators and could also be used to deflect the piercing rostrum of a predator.

https://www.livescience.com/animals/moths/gum-leaf-skeletonizer-the-venomous-mad-hatterpillar-that-wears-its-old-heads-like-a-crown

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 weeks ago

Oh really cool, thank you!

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