(ORDO NEWS) — An unusual species of caterpillar that in Queensland today is threatened with complete extinction. Phyllodes imperialis is a rather rare and unusual species of insects.
Caterpillars have a bizarre pattern on their heads. It resembles cartoon skulls. Their habitat is Australia. Today the insect is on the verge of extinction.
Reported by the Daily Mail
The rare species of caterpillars have a number of distinctive characteristics. They have teeth between dark spots that resemble eyes. The length of an individual is 12 cm, and if it senses danger nearby, it exposes these spots. Phyllodes Imperialis behave aggressively and are not afraid to attack even a possible predator.
Weather cataclysms have become the reason that this type of insect can completely disappear. First, fires raged in Australia because of the heat wave and drought. Then they were replaced by showers. For the first time in many years, even snow fell. Such abnormal weather threatened the existence of many representatives of fauna and flora.
Lepidopterists and ecologists are sounding the alarm. Each caterpillar species is an important part of the mainland ecosystem. The consequences of extinction can be unpredictable and lead to the disappearance of other participants in the food chain (birds, rodents, etc.).
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