Snail-eating caterpillars

[Glen Miyashiro]

First they discover caterpillars that catch flies; now this! :eek:

Freakish killers lurk in the forests of Hawaii: tiny caterpillars that sneak up on unsuspecting snails, hogtie them, and devour their unfortunate victims alive.

(from New Scientist (http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn7707))
http://www.newscientist.com/data/images/ns/9999/99997707F1.JPG

[Glen Miyashiro]

More snail-eating photos (http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/rubinoffd/sfhc.html). Warning: graphic violence! :D

For more details, see Prof. Daniel Rubinoff's faculty web page (http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/rubinoffd) at UH Mānoa.

[1stwahine]

Hi Glen! Interesting article. My question, they don't tell what kind of butterfly it turns into. I don't think it's bazarre...but survial of the fittist. What I would give to gaze upon the slow destruction of a snail being eaten alive! :eek: Sick? Eh, I'm inquisitive. :p

Auntie Lynn ;)

[Glen Miyashiro]

Lynn, in the additional photos link that I posted there are photos of the moth that the caterpillar turns into. Here's one of them:

http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/rubinoffd/sfhc-Thumbnails/DSCN2771.JPG

[1stwahine]

You know anybody up UH Manoa Campus that can take me to an excursion to witness this upfront. This right up my alley. Slow destrucion! Complete oblivion! :eek:

Auntie Lynn

thanks for the pictures!

[pinakboy]

i wonda if dem buggahs can grind da kine bumbucha african snails or da kine expensive escargot? hehehe :rolleyes: