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Caterpillar of black swallowtail

This caterpillar absorbs toxins from the host plants, and therefore tastes poor to bird predators.[9] The black swallowtail caterpillar has an orange "forked gland", called the osmeterium. When in danger, the osmeterium, which looks like a snake's tongue, everts and releases a foul smell to repel predators.

Its caterpillar is called the parsley worm because the caterpillar feeds on parsley.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papilio_polyxenes

 

Columbia, South Carolina

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Uploaded on August 19, 2024
Taken on August 19, 2016