#dalceridae

[herpsandbirds]

Jewel Caterpillar (Dalcera abrasa), family Dalceridae, Trinidad

photograph by Rainer

Jewel Caterpillar Moth (Dalcera abrasa), family Dalceridae, French Guiana

photograph by Bernard DuPont

[heartnosekid]

jewel caterpillar (minacraga argentata) | source

[onenicebugperday]

Jewel caterpillar, Acraga sp., Dalceridae

Photographed in Ecuador by Andreas Kay

[briery]

Slug caterpillar larva (Acraga moorei) with "spikes" coming from the caterpillar's cuticle, pushing the way through the glassy goop. (Hi-Res).

[sun-rust]

The 'Dalceridae' are a small family of moths with around 80 known species, encompassing about one dozen genera mostly found in the Neotropical region, with a few reaching the far south of the Nearctic region.

Their larvae (along with those of the sister taxa Limacodidae and Megalopygidae), measuring only about 1-2 cm in length, are often referred to as "jewel", "jelly", or "slug" caterpillars due to the translucent gelatinous coating that covers the exoskeleton of many species, as well as their stunning colors.

Though, this jewel-like appearance does not remain for long, with their adult forms taking a bright, fluffy, orange appearance. Much like a certain cheese flavored snack!

While the exact function of this gelatinous substance, along with the fragile spines underneath is not entirely clear, it is assumed to act as a means of mechanical self-defence by being nontoxic. Instead, it provides any potential predators with a "mouthful of goo" and temporarily incapacitates them.

[bowelflies]

Acraga sp. from Ecuador

source

[alithographica]

welcome to the Tumblr Don’t Censor This It’s Just A Caterpillar challenge

Transcript below the cut.

The Jewel Caterpillar

Dalceridae is a family of about 85 small, fuzzy moths. Their larvae are known as jewel caterpillars on account of the strange gumdrop-like cones that coat their skin. They are also unusual in their movement: instead of walking on legs, jewel caterpillars inch along using abdominal suckers. This trait has earned the caterpillars a second common name: slug caterpillars. (As is the problem with common names, Dalceridae are not the only group known as “slug caterpillars.” That honor also belongs to a related family of moths, Limacodidae, that use the same abdominal suction.) Many Dalceridae species have flashy colors or appendages. In many species this signals toxicity and warns predators of danger before it can take a bite, but Dalceridae aren’t toxic. Their defense instead relies on their jeweled coating. It functions like a lizard’s detachable tail: the gummy segments slip off easily, distracting the predator with a mouthful of jelly while the caterpillar wiggles to safety.

[Image: A caterpillar with many bulbous cones covering its back and sides. One cone is being pulled off by an ant. There is also a beige fuzzy moth with a scale bar indicating that its forewing is 13-14 mm (0.5 in).]

[wtf-fun-factss]

The jewel caterpillar (dalceridae) is covered in brightly-colored, translucent spines that make it look like a little pile of gummy candies. – WTF Fun Facts Source: https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/the-biology-of-the-translucent-jewel-caterpillar-the-nudibranch-of-the-forest/