During my travels, I hope to avoid the internet and computers, and use the internet only sparingly to check emails in case there are urgent matters (these are so rare). If the internet connection is good, I will try to upload one or two pictures.
It was my birthday. Birthdays have ceased to be a big deal for me LONG TIME ago. Nevertheless I did give a call and when it ended, I realised that the person didn't wish me happy birthday. That was disappointing, maybe because I expected something. Guess I was foolish to start.
Unexpectedly, I will start my journey with a heavy heart. This may be a blessing in disguise, as the next few weeks can only become better, no?
And now for something completely different..........a caterpillar with a club at its end.
Eh, no it's not a club, is it?
It's a wet blob. Hahaha...a wet blob does not a club make.
I believe it's fecal matter (i.e., shit and pee) excreted by the caterpillar and used to defend itself or to camouflage as a piece of useless, awful bird poop.
When I expose the caterpillar to ants, our shitty hero pushed its glistening blob towards the incoming intruder and lo' and behold, the ants backed off.
I mean...look at our shitty hero! Even without that wet blob, he/she has yellow spines protruding from the sides. You wanna mess with our hero?
Guess not.
Do you know what leaves our caterpillar was feeding on with the other 15++ of his/her comrades? Our curry leaf plant in the garden. I couldn't find other herbivores on the said plant other than these caterpillars. I suspect that the caterpillar uses some of the nasty compounds in the curry leaves and secretes them into its fecal matter, and then use it as a wet club. Such strategies are no longer alien to ecologists. Some caterpillars use fecal matter as shield.
Once I get back, hopefully these guys are still around, then I can commence a proper study on them.
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