Jewel Caterpillar

[bngenoh]

I thought the Foot Wide Moth was incredible, but this:

Is just sheer, magnificently stunning beauty.

Source: http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/10258111

 

[Gertrudes]

That is absolutely gorgeous! Stunning.

 

[Cosmos]

here is a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaQzsqezaSE

I wonder wich kind of skin or flesh is on his back that it is so transparent like jelly?
and what's the purpose of that if there's any?
I know of flesh or skin that looks like that especially in the deep sea but I never saw it on dry land before.

 

[Zadius Sky]

Amazingly beautiful!

 

[bngenoh]

here is a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaQzsqezaSE

I wonder wich kind of skin or flesh is on his back that it is so transparent like jelly?
and what's the purpose of that if there's any?
I know of flesh or skin that looks like that especially in the deep sea but I never saw it on dry land before.

Awesome find Pashalis,

As to what kind of skin it has, it has to do with the microscopic structure:

Microscopic gratings composed of nanostructures interact with light to produce the shimmering iridescence seen on the Costa Rican morpho butterfly. The nanostructures act to reflect and refract light waves to produce the morpho's signature blue wings and absorb other unwanted light. The highly advanced wing structures are the result of many millennia of evolution, and only recently have Nanotech's scientists discovered how to reproduce these structures reliably. While others have talked about the possibility of re-creating it, Nanotech has made this a reality.

The color is an effect of how light is interacts with the nanostructure, I remember a video about Nanotech, which I am not able to get to right now that said that if you zoom in, butterfly wings are basically colorless.

As to the purpose maybe it's to make it look like a rock so that nothing will try to eat it, but I really haven't got the foggiest idea.

Maybe we should start a thread to pull all these incredibilities together under a possibly title of "Great Nature - 2D."

 

[seek10]

gorgeous caterpillars. thanks for sharing.

 

[SeekinTruth]

That IS a remarkable looking creature.

 

[Voyageur]

Now that is different, thank you for sharing this little caterpillar creature.

 

[ginebra]

Beautiful creature! thanks for sharing.

 

[loreta]

Marvelous! Nature is fantastic.

 

[3DStudent]

Thanks for sharing, that was cool.