Skeletal scarecrows: Also known as the unicorn caterpillar or sometimes lovingly named Mad hatterpil
Skeletal scarecrows: Also known as the unicorn caterpillar or sometimes lovingly named Mad hatterpillars, the gum leaf skeletoniser has a larvae that gets rid of its exo-skeleton once in a while. However, it keeps its empty head casings in a neat pillar - in other words, it is wearing a pile of its old skulls. As this caterpillar apparently sheds its skin up to 13 times it will at the end have somewhere around 13-14 empty heads on top of its current one. Not entirely clear how they are kept attached to each other, these former heads could serve as a protective weapon that the larvae swings at predators. -- source link
#insects#skull#exoskeleton#liverödland