Credit: Gerardo Aizpuru

Sometimes all it takes to inspire a lifelong nature lover is a glimpse at a stunning otherworldly creature from our own planet. Take for example this Jewel Caterpillar and it’s muppet-like adult moth form (pictured below right). The specimen on the left was spotted in a mangrove tree by an amateur photographer and posted on Project Noah, a citizen science website, where it was identified as Acraga coa and from whence images of this critter and and questions about it’s gummy spines began circulating the Internet. Scientists don’t know exactly why the Acraga coa and other Daceridae caterpillars look the way they do, but Scientific American offers some clues in a recent blog post.

Credit: David Brownell

Unexpected creatures like the jewel caterpillar offer us that “wow” factor, that reminds us all just how amazing and diverse nature is, and draws us in to learn more. But even the most humble and commonplace organisms (a tree; an ant) are doing amazing things in service to life.  As biomimicry educators one of our most important roles is to share those insights; to cultivate the “wow,” which ultimately opens the door to learning from nature, not just about nature.