Caterpillars are great! Their sole purpose is to eat as much as they can to accumulate the resources they will need in their adult form as either a butterfly or moth. Some will never eat as an adult as they lose their mouth and digestive system completely, many others will sample nectar from flowers and are important pollinators.
These caterpillars were ready for their close-ups!
Notice the eyes, 8 in total on the bottom corners of the head. While the caterpillar's eyes are not very good at seeing things around it, there is a remarkable transformation when they metamophose into adult butterflies which have rather well developed compound eyes. Most of the head provides muscles for the jaws which are constantly in motion, chewing through tough plants and leaves.
I'm not certain this one has venomous or merely extremely irritating spines, but it is best not to touch it!
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