Black Nail Polish - _TNY_6064
The final instar caterpillar of the old-world swallowtail (Papilio machaon), also known as the common yellow swallowtail has a truly wonderful green hue.
Looking close at the front legs, we can also see that it likes black nail polish.
The next time I see one of these I am going to poke it a little to see if I can get it to extend that orange, Y-shaped osmeterium from its forehead. They do that when startled and it can emit a foul stench, intended to scare off predators.
Black Nail Polish - _TNY_6064
The final instar caterpillar of the old-world swallowtail (Papilio machaon), also known as the common yellow swallowtail has a truly wonderful green hue.
Looking close at the front legs, we can also see that it likes black nail polish.
The next time I see one of these I am going to poke it a little to see if I can get it to extend that orange, Y-shaped osmeterium from its forehead. They do that when startled and it can emit a foul stench, intended to scare off predators.