CATERPILLAR

Caterpillars are nature's most extraordinary eating machines, capable of increasing their body weight by up to 100 times in just a few weeks — all to store enough energy for one of the most remarkable transformations on Earth. Inside the chrysalis, they almost completely liquefy, breaking down into a cellular soup that reorganises into an entirely different creature. Despite having 12 tiny eyes, they can barely see, mostly just detecting light and shadow. They breathe through tiny holes along their sides called spiracles, and all caterpillars — not just silkworms — can produce silk, using it to build shelters, anchor themselves, or abseil down from leaves when threatened. Small, voracious, and secretly extraordinary. 🐛