A carnivorous ‘bone collector’ caterpillar dresses in the remains of its prey

A new carnivorous caterpillar that wears the remains of its prey has been dubbed the bone collector. The odd insect is only found on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. It creeps along spiderwebs, feeding on trapped insects and decorating its silk case with body parts. The caterpillar’s origins go back at least 6 million years — more ancient than the Hawaiian islands themselves. A host of caterpillars native to Hawaii use silk glands to spin protective cases, but the bone collector is the first to use ant heads and fly wings. The new research was published Thursday in the journal Science.

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