home · Tool · Alien insects. Insects belonging to the alien world. The most terrible insects

Alien insects. Insects belonging to the alien world. The most terrible insects

Nature is full of wonders. There are more than one million on the planet various types insects (known to us). They make up half of all living organisms on earth.

So yes, some of them are very strange indeed. Sometimes terribly strange.

They are so repulsive appearance, that you'll probably want to immediately forget about them after you see them.

Below are the strangest insects, the appearance of which even science fiction is surprised.

Scary insects

11. Large harpy

The caterpillars of these butterflies are incredibly vulnerable because their bodies are very soft and almost entirely made of protein. To fend off predators, they often resort to intimidation tactics.

Sometimes it is bright colors, sometimes it is an imitation of other insects, and often it is false behavior similar to the behavior of another, more dangerous insect. The facial expressions of this individual are special, the “face” looks at least strange, which is enough to intimidate predators.

Bright green caterpillars often “wear” rows of white spots on the sides of their bodies. The head has a pair of black "eye spots" located directly above a gaping "mouth" through which, if you look closely, you can see the caterpillar's actual head.

The effect is amazing, but no less creepy: if someone touches the caterpillar anywhere on its body, then its “face” will instantly be turned towards the attacker. Touch it somewhere else and the "face" will follow you again.

But if suddenly this does not work, then the caterpillar will always have time to splash out formic acid from the two horns located on its back.

Unusual insects

10. Devil's Flower Mantis

Being one of the largest species of praying mantis, the devil's flower is also the strangest. That says a lot when it comes to praying mantises. Females of this species reach a length of up to 13 cm, and in the process of evolution they acquired different set natural flowers, which allows them to imitate a type of orchid called the "devil's flower".

Praying mantises are predators, and their hunting style is wait-and-see. They can sit motionless for long periods of time while the intended prey is within reach, then with a movement of the forearm at lightning speed they catch flies, beetles, and even in some cases birds.

Thus, this type The mantis uses its color to imitate a flower, and when the prey approaches, it attacks.

9. Brazilian humpback

The image shown here is a model created by Alfred Keller, a German sculptor in the 1950s. But you shouldn’t assume that this is all fiction, because the Brazilian humpback is a real insect, and it is the strangest individual in the entire family of humpbacks.

Along with cicadas, insects of the genus humpbacks resemble the Adams family, only in the animal world. Many of them have strange structures on their bodies, and science is still not sure of their purpose.

In the case of the Brazilian humpback, the spherical structures are full of chitin, perhaps their natural purpose is to give the insect strength to obtain food.

The most terrible insects

8. Redtail

The redtail moth is a moth native to Denmark. The caterpillars of this moth are bright yellow color, and their bodies are covered with "spots" of spiky hair, similar to porcupine quills. Another tuft of hair runs along the center of the back, while each segment of the body is also “covered” by a certain amount of hair.

This, in turn, led to the fact that the spine turned out to be bulky, and its color varies depending on the individual from black to brown.

From afar, the caterpillar resembles a sponge, but from a close distance you can see two rows of jaws, and this is not quite nice looking jaws. Periodically, invasions of these types of moths occur, resulting in entire carpets of insects entangling trees.

So, in 1988, a similar wave destroyed 20 hectares of beech forest in Denmark.

Insect camouflage

7. Stick insect – ecstatosome (Extatosoma Tiaratum)

Anyone who has ever watched the movie "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" will immediately recognize this monster, which is often called the giant "Spike Stick" insect.

Being the largest of the stick insect species, Extatosoma Tiaratum can reach a length of 20 cm. The stick insect is covered with large prickly spines, which serve as both camouflage and protective armor.

This insect spends most of its time trying to perfectly harmonize with environment, but if it feels threatened, it will immediately rear up and stick out its forelimbs.

In this form, he looks eerily like a scorpion. Interestingly, at the same time, the stick insect releases a special Chemical substance, designed to repel predators. A person perceives this smell as the aroma of peanut butter.

Terrible insects

6. Black Butterfly (Pipevine Swallowtail Caterpillar)

This insect is an incredibly beautiful fluorescent blue butterfly that is typically found in North and Central America.

Its larvae, on the other hand, are heavily armored, blood-red caterpillars with darkened, prominent eyelids and four blunt horns to help the body move.

While young, the caterpillars live in groups, but over time, before the period when the pupa emerges, they begin to wander on their own. They also change color as they grow, going from red to black, while the horns become a bright orange hue.

Bright colors- This is a warning because the caterpillars feed primarily on poisonous plants, storing toxins from the leaves in their own bodies.

5. Satin peacock butterfly

This butterfly spends most of its life as a caterpillar, which looks very strange, while the moth itself is quite interesting.

The wingspan of this insect is about 25 cm, so this butterfly is considered the largest on the planet. It is also characterized by a unique color of its wings: the front ends of the wings strongly resemble the head of a snake, ready to attack its prey.

For obvious reasons, this butterfly received the nickname "cobra", and it lives in South-East Asia, where they are grown for their silk production.

4. Tailed Emperor Butterfly

If you find yourself on the east coast of Australia around March or April, you may encounter one of the strangest creatures. The caterpillar of this butterfly looks quite normal from the neck to the end of its body.

Her head is what got her on this list. The wide, dense forehead, from which grow four strange horns, would rather belong to some kind of dinosaur than to a creature living in this millennium.

The butterflies lay their eggs in groups, usually in trees called the Illawarra, and the non-native caterpillars begin to appear around the end of March.

3. Prickly Flower Mantis

Another incredible species of mantis is the Spiny Flower Mantis (Pseudocreobotra wahlbergi), which gets its name from its strange flower-like design. This insect is very small, it does not even reach 4 cm in length. The mantis lives in South Africa.

And like most mantises, the Thorn Flower is a voracious predator, and the older it gets, the more likely it is to eat its own kind that crosses its path.

Another interesting fact: The pouch in which the female stores eggs ready to be laid can be three times larger than her own body.

The most unusual insects

2. Scorpion fly

Even though this insect looks more like the result of a very strange genetic experiment According to a cross between a scorpion and a wasp, the “sting” is actually nothing more than the genitals of a fly.

However, thanks to this feature, the insect looks very strange. These insects can be found all over the world and have lived on earth for a very long time, dating back to the Mesozoic era.

In fact, they are believed to have been the progenitors of most of those living in modern world moths and butterflies.

1. Silkworm Calleta

The caterpillars of this butterfly are carriers of a wide color range, as well as very dangerous-looking hair. Most predators prefer to stay away from them.

The butterfly lives in the southern part of the USA. It is worth noting that the color of the caterpillar changes depending on age and some environmental factors. The caterpillar feeds mainly on Mexican legumes that grow in Mexico City, Texas and Arizona.

Sometimes it's easy to forget, but nature is full of wonders. There are over one million different species of insects on the planet, and these are just the ones we know about, which account for more than half of the world's living organisms. Therefore, some of them were simply destined to be unusual. And not just strange, but rather incredibly wonderful. So unusual that you will most likely want to forget about their existence once you learn about them. Below are ten strange insects that would give science fiction creatures a run for their money.

10. Puss Moth Caterpillar caterpillar

Because of their soft bodies and high content Squirrel caterpillars tend to be incredibly vulnerable. To ward off predators, they often resort to intimidation tactics. Sometimes they use bright, flashy colors, sometimes they use mimicry - camouflaging and acting like others, more dangerous insects. The caterpillar of the megalopygid butterfly uses mimicry, forming a strange-looking “face” that resembles the face of a vertebrate animal so scary that its appearance alone is enough to make many predators change their minds about hunting it.

The caterpillars are bright green in color and often have a row of white spots on the sides of their bodies. They have a pair of black “eye spots” on their head directly above a gaping “mouth” through which the caterpillar’s ​​real head protrudes. The effect is amazing, but it looks even more creepy in action: if the caterpillar is touched anywhere on its body, it instantly turns its “face” towards the attacker. If you touch it in another place, the head will immediately turn in that direction and watch you like the Mona Lisa from hell.

Well, if that doesn't work, she can always spray the attacker with a cloud of formic acid from her two horns on her back.

9. Devil’s Flower Mantis
Idolomantis Diabolica


One of the largest types of mantis, the devil's flower mantis is also one of the strangest. And that says a lot when it comes to praying mantises. Females of this species can reach up to 13 centimeters in length. They have managed to develop a range of natural flowers that allow them to imitate the "devil's flower", a subspecies of the orchid.

Mantises are predators and their hunting style usually involves sitting still until their prey comes within range. Once this happens, the mantises raise their forearms at lightning speed to catch flies, beetles, and even, in some cases, birds. The devil's flower mantis uses its flower-like coloration to lure its prey within reach.

8. Brazilian Treehopper

This photo shows a model created in the 1950s by Alfred Keller, a German sculptor. But don't let the fact that it's a model fool you - the Brazilian humpback is definitely a real insect, and hardly the strangest-looking member of the humpback family.

Like cicadas, humpbacks are a kind of Adams family of the insect world. Many of them have strange formations on their backs, and scientists still have not understood their purpose. The spherical appendages on the back of the Brazilian humpback are empty inside and are simply a chitinous shell. She may just have them to make it harder to eat her.

7. Shy Caterpillar Caterpillar (Dasychira Pudibunda Caterpillar)

The puddle-footed moth, also known as the red-tailed moth, is a nocturnal moth endemic to Denmark. Its bright yellow caterpillars are covered with tufts of spiny hair that look like porcupine quills. They have another row of hair tufts running down the center of their back, one on each body segment. At the end of the caterpillar's body is a large black or brown appendage.

From a distance, this caterpillar resembles a piece of a washcloth, but up close, where you can see its double row of mandibles, it no longer seems so cute and fluffy. Sometimes the population of the bashful woolly foot increases sharply and then you can see a whole carpet of these caterpillars covering the trees. In 1988, a wave of bashful moth caterpillars destroyed 20 hectares of Danish beech forests.

6. Giant spiny stick insect (Extatosoma Tiaratum)


Anyone who has seen the movie Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom should instantly recognize this monster, which is often called the Giant Spiny Stick Insect. Being the largest known species stick insects, the giant spiny stick insect can reach 20 centimeters in length and is usually covered in large, spiny spines that serve as both camouflage and protective armor.

In most cases, this insect tries to blend in with its surroundings, but if it feels threatened, the stick insect rears up, stands on its hind legs and spreads its front legs, just like a scorpion. Interestingly, the giant spiny stick insect also releases a chemical that is intended to repel predators, but to humans it smells like peanut butter.

5. North American Swallowtail Caterpillar Caterpillar


The North American Swallowtail is a beautiful fluorescent blue butterfly that is commonly found in North and Central America. Its larva, on the other hand, is an armored, blood-red caterpillar with tinted eye covers and four rows of blunt horns running the length of its body.

The caterpillars live in groups when they are very young, but over time, before pupating, they spread out in different directions. They also change color as they grow, going from red to black, while their horns take on a bright orange hue. The bright colors are a warning - the caterpillars of the North American swallowtail feed primarily on kirkazon, poisonous plant, and retain the toxins found in the leaves in their bodies.

4. Atlas Moth
Attacus atlas



In most cases, it is the moth caterpillars that look very strange, while the moths themselves look gray and uninteresting. In all likelihood, the Atlas butterfly did not hear about this. With a wingspan of 25 centimeters, Atlas butterflies are considered the largest moths on the planet. They also have a very unusual feature - the front ends of their wings almost perfectly resemble the head of a snake about to attack.

Called the cobra butterfly for obvious reasons, the Atlas butterfly is native to Southeast Asia, where it is bred for its silk.

3. Tailed caterpillar imperial butterfly(Tailed Emperor Butterfly Caterpillar)


If you happen to be on the east coast of Australia around March or April, you might be able to admire one of these strange creatures. The caterpillar of the tailed emperor butterfly looks quite normal if you look at the part of its body that is located below the head. However, her head definitely deserves a place on this list.

From the broad, armored forehead extend four strange horns that would look more at home on a dinosaur than on anything of this millennium. The butterflies lay their eggs in groups, usually on Brachychiton acerifolius trees, and the alien caterpillars emerge around the end of March.

2. African spiny mantis (Spiny Flower Mantis)
Pseudocreobotra wahlbergi



Another incredible looking mantis, the African spiny mantis (Pseudocreobotra wahlbergi), again, is a flower mantis, camouflaging its appearance with the pattern of a flower. This mantis is very small in size, reaching only 38 millimeters in length. It lives in some areas of South Africa.
Like most other mantises, the African spiny mantis is a voracious cannibal, and the older they become, the more likely they are to eat other mantises that cross their path. Another interesting fact is that the female's egg sac can be three times larger than herself.

1. Scorpionfly


Although this insect appears to be the result of a strange genetic experiment involving the fusion of a scorpion's stinger with a wasp, the "sting" is actually much more harmless: it is the genitalia of a fly.

However, this does not make the insect look any less strange. Scorpion flies can be found all over the world, and they have been present on our planet since the Mesozoic era. Moreover, they are considered the predecessors of most of our modern moths and butterflies, united in a common order - Lepidoptera.

+
Caterpillar of the Silkmoth Caterpillar


If Jackson Pollock and God met to create a design, they would probably come up with something similar to the Eupackardia calleta larva, also known as the calleta silkworm caterpillar. With its bright colors and dangerous-looking spines, the calleta silkworm caterpillar is one caterpillar that most predators stay away from.

This species of silkworm is native to the southern United States and changes its color pattern depending on age and environmental factors. This butterfly feeds primarily on Mexican jumping beans, the fruits and leaves of a plant native to Mexico, Texas and Arizona.

Incredible facts

Nature is full of wonders. There are more than one million different species of insects (known to us) on the planet. They make up half of all living organisms on earth.

So yes, some of them are really very strange. Sometimes terribly strange.

They have such a repulsive appearance that you will probably want to immediately forget about them after you see them.

Below are the strangest insects, the appearance of which even science fiction is surprised.

Scary insects

11. Large harpy



The caterpillars of these butterflies are incredibly vulnerable because their bodies are very soft and almost entirely made of protein. To fend off predators, they often resort to intimidation tactics.

Sometimes it is bright colors, sometimes it is an imitation of other insects, and often it is false behavior similar to the behavior of another, more dangerous insect. The facial expressions of this individual are special, the “face” looks at least strange, which is enough to intimidate predators.



Bright green caterpillars often “wear” rows of white spots on the sides of their bodies. The head has a pair of black "eye spots" located directly above the gaping "mouth" through which, if you look closely, you can see the real head of the caterpillar.

The effect is amazing, but no less creepy: if someone touches the caterpillar anywhere on its body, then its “face” will instantly be turned towards the attacker. Touch it somewhere else and the "face" will follow you again.

But if suddenly this does not work, then the caterpillar will always have time to splash out formic acid from the two horns located on its back.

Unusual insects

10. Devil's Flower Mantis



Being one of the largest species of praying mantis, the devil's flower is also the strangest. That says a lot when it comes to praying mantises. Females of this species reach a length of up to 13 cm, and in the process of evolution they acquired a different set of natural colors, which allows them to imitate a type of orchid called the devil's flower.



Praying mantises are predators, and their hunting style is wait-and-see. They can sit motionless for long periods of time while the intended prey is within reach, then with a movement of the forearm at lightning speed they catch flies, beetles, and even in some cases birds.

Thus, this type of mantis uses its color to imitate a flower, and when the prey approaches, it attacks.

9. Brazilian humpback



The image shown here is a model created by Alfred Keller, a German sculptor in the 1950s. But you shouldn’t assume that this is all fiction, because the Brazilian humpback is a real insect, and it is the strangest individual in the entire family of humpbacks.



Along with cicadas, insects of the genus humpbacks resemble the Adams family, only in the animal world. Many of them have strange structural formations on their bodies, and science is still not sure of their purpose.

In the case of the Brazilian humpback, the spherical structures are full of chitin, perhaps their natural purpose is to give the insect strength to obtain food.

The most terrible insects

8. Redtail



The redtail moth is a moth native to Denmark. The caterpillars of this moth are bright yellow in color, and their bodies are covered with “spots” of spiny hair, similar to porcupine quills. Another tuft of hair runs along the center of the back, while each segment of the body is also “covered” by a certain amount of hair.

This, in turn, led to the fact that the spine turned out to be bulky, and its color varies depending on the individual from black to brown.



From a distance the caterpillar resembles a sponge, but up close you can see two rows of jaws, and it's not exactly a nice looking jaw. Periodically, invasions of these types of moths occur, resulting in entire carpets of insects entangling trees.

So, in 1988, a similar wave destroyed 20 hectares of beech forest in Denmark.

Insect camouflage

7. Stick insect – ecstatosome (Extatosoma Tiaratum)



Anyone who has ever watched the movie "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" will immediately recognize this monster, which is often called the giant "Spike Stick" insect.

Being the largest of the stick insect species, Extatosoma Tiaratum can reach a length of 20 cm. The stick insect is covered with large prickly spines, which serve as both camouflage and protective armor.



This insect spends most of its time trying to blend in perfectly with its environment, but if it feels threatened, it will will immediately rear up and stick out its forelimbs.

In this form, he looks eerily like a scorpion. Interestingly, at the same time, the stick insect releases a special chemical substance designed to repel predators. A person perceives this smell as the aroma of peanut butter.

Terrible insects

6. Black Butterfly (Pipevine Swallowtail Caterpillar)



This insect is an incredibly beautiful fluorescent blue butterfly that is typically found in North and Central America.

Its larvae, on the other hand, are well-armored blood-red caterpillars with darkened, protruding eyelids and four blunt horns to help the body move.



While young, the caterpillars live in groups, but over time, before the period when the pupa emerges, they begin to wander on their own. They also change color as they grow, going from red to black, while the horns become a bright orange hue.

The bright colors are a warning because the caterpillars feed primarily on poisonous plants, storing toxins from the leaves in their own bodies.

5. Satin peacock butterfly



This butterfly spends most of its life as a caterpillar, which looks very strange, while the moth itself is quite interesting.

The wingspan of this insect is about 25 cm, so this butterfly is considered the largest on the planet. It also has a unique wing color: the front ends of the wings strongly resemble the head of a snake, ready to attack its prey.



For obvious reasons, this butterfly is nicknamed "cobra" and is native to Southeast Asia, where they are farmed for their silk production.

4. Tailed Emperor Butterfly



If you find yourself on the east coast of Australia around March or April, you may encounter one of the strangest creatures. The caterpillar of this butterfly looks quite normal from the neck to the end of its body.

Her head is what got her on this list. A wide, dense forehead, from which grow four strange horns, must have belonged to some dinosaur rather than to a creature living in this millennium.



The butterflies lay their eggs in groups, usually in trees called the Illawarra, and the non-native caterpillars begin to appear around the end of March.

3. Prickly Flower Mantis



Another incredible species of mantis is the Spiny Flower Mantis (Pseudocreobotra wahlbergi), which gets its name from its strange flower-like design. This insect is very small, it does not even reach 4 cm in length. The mantis lives in South Africa.



And like most praying mantises, The "thorny flower" is an insatiable predator, Moreover, the older he gets, the higher the likelihood that he will eat his own kind that meets him on the way.

Another interesting fact: the pouch in which the female stores eggs ready to be laid can be three times larger than her own body.

The most unusual insects

2. Scorpion fly



Despite the fact that this insect looks more like the result of a very strange genetic experiment of crossing a scorpion and a wasp, The "sting" is actually nothing more than the fly's genitals.



However, thanks to this feature, the insect looks very strange. These insects can be found all over the world and have lived on earth for a very long time, dating back to the Mesozoic era.

In fact, they are believed to be the ancestors of most of the moths and butterflies living in the world today.

1. Silkworm Calleta



The caterpillars of this butterfly are carriers of a wide range of colors, as well as very dangerous looking hairline. Most predators prefer to stay away from them.



The butterfly lives in the southern part of the USA. It is worth noting that the color of the caterpillar changes depending on age and some environmental factors. The caterpillar feeds mainly on Mexican legumes that grow in Mexico City, Texas and Arizona.

MAYBE THEY ARE NOT ALIENS

AND EARTHLY... INSECTS?

http://pandia.ru/text/79/221/images/image002_25.jpg" width="141" height="130 src=">.jpg" width="70" height="133 src=">Soreness "href="/text/category/boleznennostmz/" rel="bookmark">painful procedures for “alien scientific experiments.”

Now let's try to imagine a lizard 2.1 - 2.7 m tall. Take a look at the wall: if you live in a typical mass-built house, then your walls are approximately 2.5 m high. Now imagine the growth of an exo-lizard! So, maybe it was in vain that ufologists came up with the terms “reptoids”, “dracoids”, etc.: these are not reptoids, but reptiles, only large and very smart. Alas, all predators are dispassionate. And therefore we will never come to an agreement with the “aliens,” just as it is impossible to come to an agreement with blood-sucking insects: They do not know emotions such as pity or compassion.

So why should we feel sorry for them?

WHAT ABOUT THE LAW?

But this is murder! - another humanist will exclaim.

Don't worry. According to official science, no other dimensions exist, there are no UFOs, no aliens (whoever they may be). How can you judge a person for killing someone who doesn’t exist?

But even if we admit that there are no aliens, but there are exo-creatures, then we don’t have any law against killing them: has anyone been tried for baiting moths? Or Colorado potato beetles, cockroaches, rats? They cannot even be remotely considered human. So both of Twitmeyer’s friends have a sort of permanent “hunting season,” although instead of weapons they have machetes and scalpels.

It is characteristic that Various types These creatures instantly appear and disappear just as instantly, as if they are “sublimating.” But how is this possible?

There is only one “digestible” version on this score: all these “grays”, “mantises”, “reptiles” are capable of teleporting and easily crossing the border between dimensions. It is possible that there are billions of these creatures in other dimensions, but only a few of them are able to penetrate into our dimension. And this is wonderful, otherwise they would be everywhere here...

Don't believe me? And you try to prove WHY this is impossible?

INSECTS THAT LOOK LIKE ALIEN It's sometimes easy to forget, but nature is full of wonders. There are over one million different species of insects on the planet, and these are just the ones we know about, which account for more than half of the world's living organisms. Therefore, some of them were simply destined to be unusual. So unusual that you will most likely want to forget about their existence once you learn about them.

Puss Moth Caterpillar Caterpillar Due to their soft bodies and high protein content, caterpillars tend to be incredibly vulnerable. To ward off predators, they often resort to intimidation tactics. Sometimes they use bright, flashy colors, sometimes they use mimicry - camouflaging and acting like other, more dangerous insects. The caterpillar of the megalopygid butterfly uses mimicry, forming a strange-looking “face” that resembles the face of a vertebrate animal so scary that its appearance alone is enough to make many predators change their minds about hunting it. The caterpillars are bright green in color and often have a row of white spots on the sides of their bodies. They have a pair of black “eye spots” on their head directly above a gaping “mouth” through which the caterpillar’s ​​real head protrudes. The effect is amazing, but it looks even more creepy in action: if the caterpillar is touched anywhere on its body, it instantly turns its “face” towards the attacker. If you touch it in another place, the head will immediately turn in that direction and watch you like the Mona Lisa from hell. Well, if that doesn't work, she can always spray the attacker with a cloud of formic acid from her two horns on her back.

Caterpillar of the Pudibunda Caterpillar (Dasychira Pudibunda Caterpillar) The Dasychira Pudibunda Caterpillar, also known as the redtail, is a nocturnal moth endemic to Denmark. Its bright yellow caterpillars are covered with tufts of spiny hair that look like porcupine quills. They have another row of hair tufts running down the center of their back, one on each body segment. At the end of the caterpillar's body is a large black or brown appendage. From a distance, this caterpillar resembles a piece of a washcloth, but up close, where you can see its double row of mandibles, it no longer seems so cute and fluffy. Sometimes the population of the bashful woolly foot increases sharply and then you can see a whole carpet of these caterpillars covering the trees. In 1988, a wave of bashful moth caterpillars destroyed 20 hectares of Danish beech forests.

Giant Spiny Stick Insect (Extatosoma Tiaratum) Anyone who has seen the movie Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom should instantly recognize this monster, which is often called the Giant Spiny Stick Insect. As the largest known species of stick insect, the giant spiny stick insect can reach up to 20 centimeters in length and is typically covered in large, spiny spines that serve as both camouflage and protective armor. In most cases, this insect tries to blend in with its surroundings, but if it feels threatened, the stick insect rears up, stands on its hind legs and spreads its front legs, just like a scorpion. Interestingly, the giant spiny stick insect also releases a chemical that is intended to repel predators, but to humans it smells like peanut butter.

North American Swallowtail Caterpillar (Pipevine Swallowtail Caterpillar) The North American Swallowtail Caterpillar is a beautiful fluorescent blue butterfly that is commonly found in North and Central America. Its larva, on the other hand, is an armored, blood-red caterpillar with tinted eye covers and four rows of blunt horns running the length of its body. The caterpillars live in groups when they are very young, but over time, before pupating, they spread out in different directions. They also change color as they grow, going from red to black, while their horns take on a bright orange hue. The bright colors are a warning - the North American swallowtail caterpillars feed primarily on the plant, a poisonous plant, and retain the toxins found in the leaves in their bodies.

Tailed Emperor Butterfly Caterpillar If you happen to be on the east coast of Australia around March or April, you might be able to admire one of these strange creatures. The caterpillar of the tailed emperor butterfly looks quite normal if you look at the part of its body that is located below the head. However, her head definitely deserves a place on this list. From the broad, armored forehead extend four strange horns that would look more at home on a dinosaur than on anything of this millennium. The butterflies lay their eggs in groups, usually on Brachychiton acerifolius trees, and the alien caterpillars emerge around the end of March.