Are
you frightened?
Butterflies
are meek creatures, both as adults and caterpillars. But they are not
entirely defenseless. Here is a close-up of the tiger swallowtail (Papilio
glaucus) caterpillar, a common species that could easily be in your backyard
as well as inhabiting many special places protected by WPC. While this
caterpillar is feeding on the leaves of many different species of broadleaf
trees as it grows towards butterflyhood, it is vulnerable to predation.
The actual eyes of the caterpillar are quite small, nondescript and usually
out of view. However, it does sport bright yellow "eye spots"
with black and light blue markings on its back that make the caterpillar
take on the look of a snake. It is believed that in this way the larva
is able to passively fend off a predator such as a bird looking for a
meal.
Photo by WPC President Larry Schweiger.
Our Natural Heritage Program inventories and monitors the status of rare plants and animals
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