Carranya

Perhaps you have been delighted to watch a Kookaburra harassing a Raven or a Magpie harassing a Wedgie. Perhaps you have even seen a little Willie Wagtail drive a Wedgie off, even though the little fellow is smaller than a single eagle wing feather. Well, grab a cuppa, or a glass of your favourite colour and watch a real pro in action as a Spider Monkey gives a pair of young tigers hell. - Thanks to Peter Webster for the pointer..

Notice the tail-like structure on this sekeletoniser caterpillar. It is actually the head, or I should say many heads. Each time it moults and grows the caterpillar sheds all its exoskeleton except the head, which remains attached. Over several moults a group of heads appear, and are used as a defensive weapon - giving this species the common name of Mad Hatter Moth (Uraba lugens). You can see a rather gory movie of it's weapon in action here. These are relatively common on the…