Costa Rica Picture of the Day (August 5th, 2013) – Each day the Costa Rican Times will be including a picture from around Costa Rica to see the natural beauty and amazing things that we get to see each day in the land of the Pura Vida.
The beautiful, colorful, Costa Rican caterpillars will take anyone’s breath away, but you have to be careful since many can be poisonous .
From bright green, like the one in this picture, to caterpillars that have been described as “alien-looking caterpillars” by tourist; there are many types of these larval form of Lepidoptera.The Lepidoptera family consists of insects including the butterflies and moths.
Most caterpillars are herbivorous and a threat to farmers because of the damage they cause to fruits. What they eat is often reflected on how they look and some even develop part that reflect plants.
As a defense mechanism they develop a chemical that can irritate the skin or even cause a human to hemorrhage to death.
By Brenda Sotelo
photo credit: Mario Daniil
