News Animals

This caterpillar wears the body parts of insect prey

The “bone collector” caterpillar’s outfit acts as camouflage

Six caterpillar cases covered in spikey body parts of insects and spiders.

A newly discovered caterpillar weaves the remains of insect prey onto a protective case (several shown) worn for camouflage, a new study suggests.

Rubinoff lab/Entomology Section/University of Hawaii at Mānoa

By McKenzie Prillaman

A severed ant head. A fly wing. A beetle abdomen. These body parts ripped from devoured insects festoon a newfound caterpillar’s protective coat.

Dubbed the “bone collector,” this caterpillar species sports remains of prey as camouflage while it stalks spider webs for trapped bugs, researchers report in the April 25 Science.