While exploring the cocoa garden on a sunny afternoon, my eyes suddenly fell on something unique on a dry cocoa leaf. A small caterpillar with a shape like a work of art, brightly colored and decorated with small thorns all over its body. This caterpillar is the Crowned Slug Moth, a creature that looks so cute and charming.
However, don't be fooled by its appearance! Although it looks beautiful, this caterpillar has a secret "weapon" that can make us very itchy if we touch it. Its thorns have a poison that is strong enough to give an uncomfortable sensation to our skin. Therefore, I decided to keep a safe distance while trying to photograph its beauty from various angles.
There is one interesting thing about this caterpillar: I can't tell which is the front and which is the back of its body. Its symmetrical shape makes it look mysterious, as if it has no particular direction. With a black background, I tried to highlight the unique details of its body, from the texture of its skin to the small spikes that rise like a crown.
This moment reminded me how amazing our nature is, full of surprises and hidden beauty. However, we must also remain vigilant when observing the biodiversity around us.
What do you think? Have you ever found a small creature that looks beautiful but turns out to be dangerous like this? I am very happy to share this story with my friends in the Discovery-it community. Don't forget, always be careful when exploring nature, okay!
NOTE: I first wrote the article above in Indonesian, which is my own language, then I translated it using English with the help of Goggle.