Animals-photography || the hidden beauty behind cacao leaves "Limacodinae caterpillars"

Dear everyone

Today I want to share an interesting experience while caring for cocoa trees in the family garden, where I discovered a very beautiful species of caterpillar hiding behind cocoa leaves, this is a species of Limacodinae caterpillar which comes from the Cidnidae family. Maybe for some people my findings this time are not that interesting and may even be considered a harmful pest, but that doesn't apply to me, the presence of this caterpillar actually opens up a new perspective on the biodiversity around me.

I found this caterpillar on February 7, to this day I still remember the incident that day where when I examined the cocoa leaves that I was caring for, the cocoa tree looked healthy, the leaves were fresh green and the fruit also seemed to be starting to expand, and when I examined more closely the bottom of the leaf I was surprised to find unusual traces in the form of small holes that looked like bite marks these are, after searching further I saw a caterpillar moving slowly along the surface of the leaf, and I did a match on inaturalist to learn more, and it turned out this caterpillar was Limacodinae

Are you familiar with the types of caterpillars that I share today?

Limacodinae is a subfamily in the Cidnidae family which consists of various types of caterpillars with quite interesting and unique appearances, but most of the caterpillars from this family tend to have fat and rather flat bodies as I found. There are several parts that really stand out from the caterpillar that I found, the first is the color of the body which resembles a leaf, then the head has a different color and is also equipped with two horns which are formed from small spines, on the back there are also two horns.

Here are some photos of various sides of Limacodinae caterpillars that I have captured for you, I hope the photos I share today can help you to get to know Limacodinae caterpillars, oh yes I almost forgot, I need to remind you that if you find this type of caterpillar in the garden, in the forest or anywhere, then never touch them because their small spines contain chemical compounds that can cause itching like burning and even irritation, so you need to be careful when you find them.

Below are some photos and no reviews so as not to disturb your concentration when looking at them through photos 😍