* This post has been updated with actual & scientific names of caterpillar. For more Insect and spider construction go to the Gallery page or click on the link here.

* Tess sent me through a link with what this caterpillar is: The Leaf Case Moth – Hyalarcta huebneri, also known as Leaf Bagworm click on link (highlighted) for more information and photographs. They have really cool houses!

We Met this dude on a smallish eucalyptus tree branch a some weeks ago.

I was struck at how ingenious its house construction was and surprised to see that it is a caterpillar. It moves about it’s food source carrying this flower looking ‘house’ with it – just like a hermit crab. I named it the ‘hermit crab caterpillar’ as I have not yet scientifically found an identification for it. (If you know I would love you to share it with me, smile.)

A really cool thing about this ‘house’ is that when the caterpillar gets scared, or wants to sleep/rest (I am not sure if caterpillars actually need to sleep or rest) it some how sucks onto the branch and the opening to it’s house is perfectly formed to completely seal the opening so nothing can get in (see bottom image).

I reckon God is ingenious at demonstrating all sorts of fabulous wonders through nature. It is truly exciting to discover ‘new’ (new to me) things that God has purposely created for me (everyone of us) to find, examine, explore and question. This is what I find in nature – so many questions, and recently an excitement about finding the answers – and an inkling of a feeling that ‘yes, for every single question there is an answer!’ I feel excited about that. I have a stronger feeling that I will get answers if I just keep searching and keep asking God, rather than worrying about not knowing or that I must know everything now.

It is being regularly demonstrated to me how very little I do know and how much wondrous, deliciousness is out there yet to discover…

20140509 I named this the ‘hermit crab caterpillar’. It has made the most beautiful house which it carries about on it’s back as it moves around eating a young tree. You can just see the little caterpillars head peeking out near the branch. If it feels you watching it it quickly ‘sucks’ onto the branch creating a perfect seal so that no one can get in. I was entranced watching it move about with it’s house. I am noticing a lot of similarities in shapes and creatures on land and sea at the moment. Very exciting.

The caterpillar house like a beautiful flower bud, or shell.

It’s house is totally made out of carefully cut/chewed off pieces of gum leaf, perfectly arranged to blend into the tree. When I went back to look for it the second time I got such a shock as it had moved house and all. I thought it was so cool and wondered what it would be like to live in such a beautifully crafted work of art and perfection.

20140509 Leaf Skirt caterpillar or the ‘hermit crab caterpillar’. This is a close up of it suctioning onto the branch and sealing it’s home off.

* I find it interesting how on land and at sea there are similar looking creatures/shapes/and jobs that creatures do. This caterpillar and hermit crabs with a house on their back as a protective construction. Sea stars and particular thistles that are ground covering look very similar with arms and even sometimes the shapes on them.

I was wondering – there are insects on land so there must be insects and ‘waste warriors’ of the sea, like shrimps, crill, different types of plankton, of which there is such abundance.

I also wondered at how very large in size animals eat insects and plants – like whales, elephants, giraffe, the largest dinosaurs etc etc and how it is just interesting that these massive creatures function and thrive on plants. It all just makes me wonder and I feel that dinosaurs – the meat eating ones were actually carrion eaters – clean up agents rather than killers or predators. I reckon the predatory creatures in our world today could survive without killing anything.

Creatures reflect us, in my experience, so I wonder what ‘behaviour’ changes will occur when I deal with my causal emotions… I look forward to seeing the changes…

** All these ideas are based on my feelings and my opinions. Some I know for certain because I have experienced them and some I don’t know if they are true or factual yet, but I do wonder about them and I reckon in time I will know for certain, many things I don’t know just yet, I have growing faith I will know. And when I do maybe I will tell you about them… but then you could always conduct your own experiments and find out for yourself – for certain…. smile.