Latest news with #Hyposmocoma
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Bone collector caterpillar: The very hungry caterpillar of your nightmares
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Name: Bone collector caterpillar Where it lives: In cobwebs on a single mountain range on Oahu, Hawaii What it eats: Flies, weevils, bark beetles, ants or any arthropod caught in a spider's web Why it's awesome: The bone collector is not just a very hungry caterpillar — it has an appetite for flesh. And once it finishes scavenging on dead or dying insects trapped in a spider's web, the bone collector covers itself in the legs, wings or heads of its prey for camouflage to avoid being eaten. The newly discovered caterpillar inhabits a roughly 6-square-mile (15 square kilometers) area in the Wai'anae mountain range on Oahu and lives exclusively in and around cobwebs in logs, tree hollows or rock cavities. The bone collector uses the dark setting to its advantage: If the spider host detects movement on its web, it will rush over to attack the intruder. But under the cover of darkness, the silk casing layered in inedible body parts smells, or tastes, like last week's lunch. The tactic works well, as the caterpillars have never been found to be eaten by spiders or wrapped in their silk, according to a study in the journal Science. The bone collector is part of the genus Hyposmocoma, small moths that live in Hawaii and are known for weaving mobile silk containers. Whereas other varieties might decorate their shelters with bits of algae or lichen to look like tree bark, for example, no other known Hyposmocoma species recognizes random insect body parts and attaches them to its case. The species evolved at least 6 million years ago, according to the researchers, making it older than the island of Oahu. This suggests bone collector moths migrated from an even older Hawaiian island that has since disappeared to get to their current forest. Image 1 of 2 A bone collector caterpillar next to a non-native spider and its egg sac. Image 2 of 2 An adult female bone collector moth. Carnivorous caterpillars are extremely unusual. They make up about 0.13% of the world's moth and butterfly species, but the bone collector, in particular, is especially rare — after more than two decades of fieldwork, researchers have found only 62 specimens. In terms of survival, the bone collectors aren't helping their cause. They are territorial, and typically only one caterpillar is found on a single cobweb because they cannibalize the competition. Related stories —American burying beetle: The meat-eating insect that buries bodies for its babies to feast on —Gum leaf skeletonizer: The venomous 'Mad Hatterpillar' that wears its old heads like a crown —'A relationship that could horrify Darwin': Mindy Weisberger on the skin-crawling reality of insect zombification Fortunately for us, the bone collector caterpillar is only about a quarter of an inch (5 millimeters) long. " I have no doubt that if we were their size, they would eat us," Daniel Rubinoff, lead author of the study and an entomologist at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, told Live Science. "There's no way that they would just eat insects. That just happens to be their fighting class, so to speak."
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
7 facts about Hawaiʻi's creepy insect that wears dead bugs as camouflage
HONOLULU (KHON2) — Deep in the Waiʻanae mountains of Oʻahu lives one of the strangest creatures ever discovered. And it's not what you'd expect. It's a caterpillar. But it doesn't eat leaves. It doesn't spin cocoons. And it doesn't mind getting a little creepy. Nicknamed the 'bone collector,' this native Hawaiian insect is part of the Hyposmocoma genus and is unlike any other caterpillar on Earth. Native to Hawaiʻi, this creepy wee caterpillar has its gruesome habits and tiny size, and it has shocked scientists and sparked curiosity around the world. Here are seven wild facts found about the caterpillar that wears dead bugs and hunts like a spider. Most caterpillars snack on leaves and plants but not this one. The bone collector caterpillar is carnivorous. That means it eats other animals. Scientists have seen it scavenge insects already caught and killed by spiders. It sneaks into the spider's web and steals bits of dead ants, flies and beetles. Some researchers believe the caterpillar may even hunt other live insects. Now, that's a rare and bold move for something so small. This caterpillar doesn't just eat bugs. It wears them. Using silk it spins from its body, the caterpillar builds a small tube-shaped case to live in. Then it decorates that case with body parts of the insects it finds. 'Ant heads, fly wings, beetle legs: it uses them all,' scientists on the team reported. This strange covering helps the caterpillar blend into the spider's web. With its gruesome outfit, it looks more like a pile of leftovers than a living threat. The camouflage helps it hide from the spider while it sneaks around collecting if things couldn't get weirder, scientists believe this caterpillar shows cannibalistic behavior. That means it eats other caterpillars like itself. This kind of behavior is extremely rare in the world of moths and butterflies. But the bone collector is full of surprises, and its survival tactics show just how strange and specialized life in Hawaiʻi can be. You won't find this caterpillar crawling through your backyard. The bone collector caterpillar has only been found in one place: the Waiʻanae mountain range on the island of Oʻahu. It lives in an area that's only about 5.8 square miles. That's smaller than a single neighborhood in Honolulu. This tiny range is full of native plants and animals that don't live anywhere else. But that also means it's very easy to disturb the caterpillar's home with development or changes to the environment. Scientists have only seen 62 individual bone collector caterpillars in more than 20 years of research. That's fewer than the number of kids in a single classroom. Because of this, the caterpillar is considered very rare and possibly at risk of extinction if its habitat is harmed. 'This kind of species is fragile,' the researchers said in thier report. 'Once the land changes, they might not survive.' The caterpillar belongs to a Hawaiian group of moths called Hyposmocoma. They are known for their weird behaviors and silk cases, but the bone collector is the only one known to feed on animals instead of plants. In fact, there are more than 400 types of Hyposmocoma in Hawaiʻi, and many live nowhere else in the world. The bone collector is just one more example of how evolution in isolated places like the Hawaiian Islands can lead to surprising results. This caterpillar might be tiny, but its story is big. It shows how special and fragile life in Hawaiʻi really is. Scientists said discoveries like this prove the importance of protecting native habitats before they disappear. 'When you find a caterpillar that hunts like a spider and wears dead bugs as armor, you start to realize that nature is full of surprises,' the researchers said. You can click to read the full scientific paper. Get news on the go with KHON 2GO, KHON's morning podcast, every morning at 8 And remember, if we don't take care of the places these creatures live, we could lose them before we even get the chance to learn their full story. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Meet the 'Bone Collector' Caterpillar: A Rare Hawaiian Insect That Wears Its Prey and Lives Among Spiders
A rare Hyposmocoma caterpillar, nicknamed the "bone collector," discovered in Oʻahu, Hawaii, uses dead insect parts to disguise itself on spider webs The newly identified species is carnivorous and cannibalistic, with a highly specialized habitat limited to just 5.8 square miles Scientists warn the caterpillar is at risk due to invasive species and climate change threatening its already fragile ecosystem In the secluded forests of Oʻahu, Hawaii, scientists have discovered a truly astonishing insect — one that not only hunts its fellow arthropods, but wears them. Documented in a new study published in Science on Thursday, April 25, the insect is a newly described species within the Hyposmocoma genus, known for its bizarre behaviors and evolutionary surprises. Nicknamed the "bone collector," this rare caterpillar is as elusive as it is eerie, and may be unlike anything the scientific world has seen before. The caterpillar cloaks itself in the body parts of dead insects, crafting a protective casing out of the remains to camouflage itself while lurking on spider webs. This survival tactic seems to allow the caterpillar to sneak past the very creatures that should be its predators: spiders. Related: Creepy Fish Species Invades U.S. Waters, Now Residents are Being Told to Kill the Creature on Sight Researchers, led by entomologist Dr. Daniel Rubinoff of the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, believe the insect's gruesome disguise helps it hide in plain sight, feeding on prey caught in the web, sometimes even unwrapping the spider's own leftovers. 'It is possible the array of partially consumed body parts and shed spider skins covering the case forms effective camouflage from a spider landlord,' researchers wrote, per Science Alert. 'The caterpillars have never been found predated by spiders or wrapped in spider silk.' Essentially, the spiders have never been observed attacking or eating these caterpillars. Another unusual trait is the caterpillar's exclusive choice of insect parts or spider exoskeletons for their casing, rather than natural materials like bark or leaves, when tested in a lab. Another jaw-dropping characteristic is their cannibalistic tendencies, as researchers found that they would eat any slow-moving insect placed in front of them, even each other. 'It is remarkable that a caterpillar would tie its fate to a spider — a clear and present danger for both caterpillar and moth alike,' Dr. David Wagner, an entomologist at the University of Connecticut, explained to the New York Times, calling the caterpillar's reliance on the spiders one of nature's most improbable connections. (Wagner was not involved in the study.) Since Dr. Rubinoff first encountered the species in 2008 inside a tree hollow, his team has conducted more than 150 field surveys and found only 62 bone collector specimens. The caterpillar is now known to exist in a single forested mountain range, covering just 15 square kilometers (about 5.8 square miles). Genetic analysis shows that this species may have diverged from its carnivorous cousins over five million years ago, predating the formation of the island of Oʻahu itself. That means its ancestors likely inhabited other Hawaiian islands before becoming isolated on the mountainside where it now survives. Related: Study Finds Dolphins Can Make Human Vowel Sounds as Experts Launch AI-Powered Dolphin Translation Of course, survival is far from guaranteed. The bone collector's habitat is increasingly under threat from invasive ants, parasitic wasps, and the ever-present pressure of environmental change due to climate change and human disturbances. While the caterpillar appears adaptable — it lives on the webs of at least four non-native spider species — its narrow range and complex behavior make it particularly vulnerable. "Without conservation attention, it is likely that the last living representative of this lineage of carnivorous, body part-collecting caterpillars that has adapted to a precarious existence among spider webs will disappear," researchers wrote, per Science Alert. Read the original article on People
Time of India
25-04-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Meet the 'bone collector' caterpillar, which wears prey's body parts as camouflage
Image credits: National Geographic Deep in the forests of Hawaii's Oahu island lives a creature that seems pulled straight from a horror story: a rare carnivorous caterpillar that not only feeds on other insects but also wears their remains. Nicknamed the 'Bone Collector,' this tiny predator takes camouflage to a gruesome new level by covering its silk case with body parts from its prey, blending into its surroundings while avoiding danger. The chilling discovery, published in the journal Science, reveals an evolutionary rarity that scientists had never observed before. 'This behaviour was utterly unknown,' said Daniel Rubinoff, an entomologist at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and lead author of the study. Why is it called the 'bone collector' Unlike ordinary caterpillars that stick to munching on leaves, the bone collector feeds on insects trapped in spider webs. After its meal, it uses silk to attach pieces of its victims, such as beetle abdomens, weevil heads, and even discarded spider exoskeletons to its protective case. The end result is a mobile 'crime scene' of insect remains that disguises the caterpillar among the debris of the web. By collecting and wearing these body parts, the caterpillar not only camouflages itself but also avoids becoming prey to the spiders it shares its home with. 'It is remarkable that a caterpillar would tie its fate to a spider, a clear and present danger for both caterpillar and moth alike,' said David Wagner, an entomologist at the University of Connecticut who was not involved in the study. Where do the bone collector caterpillars live The bone collector caterpillar lives in an unusual habitat: spider webs nestled inside tree hollows and rock crevices within a six-square-mile area on Oahu. The webs provide both food and shelter, but residing alongside spiders is a risky lifestyle. To stay safe, the caterpillar blends in by appearing like a pile of leftover insect parts that spiders have already discarded. Researchers found that spiders never attacked the bone collector caterpillars, suggesting their grim camouflage is working. 'These caterpillars can discern differences in objects in their environment,' Rubinoff explained. 'They ignore other debris and specifically harvest insect remains to build their casing.' A rare and picky predator The bone collector belongs to the Hyposmocoma genus, a diverse group of moths found only in Hawaii. Many species in this genus create portable silk cases decorated with natural materials like wood or shells. However, the bone collector's case is far more unsettling. After careful observation in the lab, scientists discovered that the caterpillar is highly selective about its decorations. Using its mandibles, it examines each potential body part, trimming larger pieces down to size before attaching them to its case. While it's picky about its fashion, the bone collector isn't as selective about its meals. It will eat any insects it can catch, even other caterpillars of its kind. An endangered lifestyle Despite its eerie brilliance, the bone collector is incredibly rare. Over 150 field surveys have only identified 62 specimens, and its tiny habitat is under threat from invasive ants and parasitic wasps. Genetic studies show that the bone collector likely evolved from other carnivorous Hyposmocoma caterpillars more than five million years ago. This was long before Oahu existed, meaning its ancestors probably lived on other Hawaiian islands before relocating. With its specialised lifestyle and limited habitat, researchers fear this strange species could disappear if conservation efforts aren't implemented. 'Conservation attention is desperately needed to save Hawaii's endemic arthropods, including its body-snatching caterpillars,' Rubinoff emphasised. A creepy yet fascinating marvel of evolution The bone collector's disturbing habit of wearing its prey highlights just how creative and unsettling evolution can be. This bizarre caterpillar not only thrives in an environment filled with predators but does so by turning its victims into a literal suit of armour. For now, the bone collector remains one of nature's most chilling mysteries, reminding us that even the smallest creatures can have the strangest survival strategies. Also Read: Why Australia shot dead hundreds of Koalas from helicopters
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
'Bone Collector' Caterpillar Wears Dead Bugs to Steal Prey From Spiders
We all need a way to get along in this wild, wicked world, and a rare insect found only on a mountainside on O'ahu has found an incredible strategy. A species of caterpillar that scientists are calling the 'bone collector' is not only a carnivore, and a cannibal, it also dresses itself in the body parts of dead insects so it can sneak around undetected and steal prey right from the jaws of spiders. No other species of caterpillar has been observed behaving this way, and only 62 individuals of the species have been seen in 20 years of fieldwork. The findings suggest that the newly described bone collector is rare, vulnerable, and requires targeted conservation to protect its place in our world. The insect belongs to the Hyposmocoma genus, and has been described for the first time in a new paper. Caterpillars are the larval stage for insects of the Lepidoptera order – you know, butterflies and moths. As adults, most of these insects primarily feed on plant matter (mostly), and their larvae do the same. It's common to see caterpillars merrily munching away on a leaf. Carnivorous species are rare. Just 0.1 percent of the known butterfly and moth species have caterpillars that like to munch on other animals. Caterpillars aren't exactly the most nimble of creatures, so the food of carnivorous species often includes slow-moving or stationary prey such as scale insects that cling to trees, wasp and ant larvae, and the eggs of other insects. The bone collector's strategy involves cozying up to a spider. A research team led by entomologist Daniel Rubinoff of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa observed the species in the wild, and collected several specimens to observe their behavior in a laboratory setting. The way they live their lives is very strange for a caterpillar. In the wild, a bone collector caterpillar will find an enclosed spider web – one that's safely concealed under tree bark, for example – and collect inedible pieces of insect to make themselves a little coat, bound together with silk. Once there, they'll happily chow down on any insects caught in the web, even chewing through the silk wrappers of snacks that the spider has stashed for later. The researchers found them living this way with multiple species of spiders, none of which were native to Hawaii, suggesting that the caterpillar is somewhat adaptable. In the lab, the researchers gave the caterpillars a variety of detritus to choose from to build their little nests. The caterpillars noticeably only chose the body parts of other insects, or shed spider skin, eschewing bits of twig or leaf or bark. And when no insect parts were offered, the caterpillars did not accept anything else: it's bug bits or nothing. "Given the context," the researchers write, "it is possible that the array of partially consumed body parts and shed spider skins covering the case forms effective camouflage from a spider landlord; the caterpillars have never been found predated by spiders or wrapped in spider silk." In captivity, the caterpillars would eat any live, slow-moving, or immobilized insect prey. Anything was fair game – even each other. When placed together, one tore open the other's case, entered, and feasted on the inhabitant. This probably helps reduce food competition, limiting each web to just one caterpillar interloper. But it also means that the species doesn't have strength in numbers. Its genome suggests that it first emerged between around 15 million to 9 million years ago, older than the oldest island of Hawaii by millions of years, indicating that it was once more widespread. Today, its range is just 15 square kilometers (5.8 square miles), isolated to a forest in a single mountain range, on a single island. Work needs to be done to understand this strange little caterpillar and how it developed its survival strategy… but also to protect it from increasing environmental stressors, including a growing number of invasive species in its tiny, isolated habitat range. "Without conservation attention," the researchers write, "it is likely that the last living representative of this lineage of carnivorous, body part-collecting caterpillars that has adapted to a precarious existence among spider webs will disappear." The research has been published in Science. 113 Million-Year-Old 'Hell Ant' Discovery Is Oldest Ever Found Most Bees Nest in The Ground. Offering Rocks And Gravel Is a Simple Way to Help Them Thrive. This Secret Mathematical Rule Has Shaped Beaks For 200 Million Years
