Common Baron Caterpillar

If you're a hungry bird, good luck locating any common baron caterpillars in western Malaysia if you're a bird. Other butterfly larvae can mix in with nearby flora, but few can blend in as well as the baron. The intricate patterns and colors of baron caterpillars were developed only for the sake of concealment from predators. This increases their chances of living long enough to mature into common baron butterflies and hence reproduce. It is also one of the most amazing camouflage animals that will make you look twice.

Baron caterpillars are native to India and Southeast Asia. When the monsoon rains began to fall, the mango trees in the garden began to house a very fragile lifeform: Common Baron Butterfly eggs. The tiny water-drop-like eggs hatch into voracious young caterpillars who devour everything in their path. They molt several times while in the larval phase, growing longer and plumper. It gets more difficult to identify them as they blend into the background and become one with the mango leaf that serves as their habitat. The caterpillar is particularly striking, with a yellowish-white spine and a bristling look. This causes friction with mango growers, which the baron's disguise abilities can help them avoid.

Scientific Name: Euthalia Aconthea
Distribution: Native to Sri Lanka, India and southeast Asia
Size: 6 inches–8 inches