Nature never ceases to astonish. This is the larva of the Pink
Underwing Moth, an endangered species which lives in the subtropical
rainforest below about 600m elevation in the Australian states of New
South Wales and Queensland. It has evolved a remarkable set of patterns
to ward off potential predators.
A giant set of eyes would, you might think, be enough to warn off a bird
looking for an easy lunch. Yet this caterpillar goes one step further.
It appears to have a set of teeth which could rip any possible attacker
to shreds. Why, then, is it so rare? You might think that with this
sort of natural protection the species would be thriving everywhere.
That might be true, if it were not for the fact that the caterpillar of the pink underwing (a subspecies of Phyllodes imperialis)
is something of a fussy eater. Prospective breeding habitats are
restricted to places where the caterpillar's sole food plant, a
rainforest vine, Carronia multisepalea, grows in Australia’s
eastern subtropical rainforests. The plant is rare, so likewise is the
pink underwing. In fact the larva has only been found in six places.
When they hatch the caterpillars are at first a dull brown color. At
this stage in their life cycle they rely on something called crypsis to
avoid detection. It does this by having the appearance of a dried up
leaf. Yet when it gets larger it relies as much on its markings as it
does its ability to blend in.