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Extreme Camouflage for Caterpillars

Caption: A larva of swallowtail butterfly Papilio xuthus changes its body pattern at the 4th molt. The juvenile larva resembles bird droppings (left) in its fourth developmental stage, or "instar," and its host leaves (right) during its final instar. This image relates to an article that appeared in the Feb. 22, 2008, issue of the journal Science, published by AAAS. The study, by Dr. R. Futahashi and colleagues at National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences in Ibaraki, Japan, was titled "Juvenile Hormone Regulates Butterfly Larval Pattern Switches."

Credit: Image courtesy of Ryo Futahashi

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