I was blown away yesterday by this thing I found in our garden. We live in "the bush", meaning we are bounded on 3 sides by wild African bush and we often see things that look really bizarre, but this takes the biscuit. It's a little caterpillar-like thing which has constructed an intricate housing out of bits of grass etc for camouflage. It manages to move around, despite its housing being quite angular and unwieldy, by dragging itself forward on strong little pincers.



Unlike any other caterpillar-like thing I've seen, it is extremely aware of my presence and hides its body inside the housing before you're really quite sure that you saw it. You wouldn't believe there's anything inside it otherwise, but I did get a blurry picture of the head poking out:



I let it go last night, because I wouldn't have been able to sleep with the thought of holding this special thing captive all night (I'm a sensitive type!), but to prove it's not a fluke, we found another one this morning but smaller.

I am again amazed by God's creation. I wouldn't be at all surprised if this little beast isn't yet known to science - I've never heard of anything like it. Living in the bush you do get this feeling that crawling all around are lots of things yet unknown to science, but more than known to God! Praise our awesome God!

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Paul
No denomination, affiliated with FIEC
"Deliver me from worldly dispositions, for I am born from above and destined for glory" - Valley of Vision
"They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation" - Peter

That's interesting. It looks something like a terrestrial Caddis Fly larva. (Caddis flies are aquatic in their laval state.)

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We shall not adjust our Bible to the age; but before we have done with it, by God's grace, we shall adjust the age to the Bible. - Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Lawrence Underwood, Jr.
Pastor - Providence Family Fellowship / Mobile, Alabama
1644/46 LBC
My Blog - Imprimis

I shall call it Parsley Catepillar.

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Rich
PCA, Northern VA
Student, New Geneva Theological Seminary

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I think the scientific name is Parslius cateperilleri.

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Scott
PCA
North Carolina


"Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised)"
Hebrews 10:23

Hahaha! Good one!

That is just !

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sarah
WI
OPC
My Pastor's Sermons: Mark Jenkins...he's awesome!!!

I wonder what it turns into? Quite intricate - God's ways with these bugs are fantastic - it was the sight of an ordinary caterpillar that He used to bring home to me the reality of a Creator. It was dun-colored and nearly eyeless as far as I could tell, but it had white "eyes" painted on the top of its head to keep predators away, and a breathing vent that looked remarkably like a mouth on top as well. I wish I had a picture.

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The man who is disposed to think of his sin as a great calamity, rather than as a heinous crime, is not likely either to reverence God or to respect His law. - John Kennedy, 1873
Meg
Blog
Member, Intown Presbyterian Church,PCA, Portland, OR

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I hadn't heard of Caddis Fly larva before, so thanks for that. Google images has helped me out and I can tell you these things seem better builders than the Caddis Fly. Notice the regular and precise criss-crossing of the plant stems and how it's cut the stems all to the same length. The other one we found was exactly the same.

We're on top of a mountain... I shall look out for some strange looking flying insects this season.

Awesome!

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Nate
Protestant Reformed Churches in America
Ann Arbor, MI

WOOOOOOW

but it kind of creeps me out, especially the intricate workings.

*shudder

But please do post more cool finds!

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Ewen
1689 LBCF
Assemblies of God Bible College
Singapore

Wow. Thanks for sharing.

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soli Deo gloria!
~Nicholas~ Ordained Pastor
Member, Fulton PCA; GPTS Student
Christians are like snow covered dung; it is the purity of the covering which the Father sees. -Luther-
There is nothing more ugly than a Christian orthodoxy without understanding or without compassion.
-Francis Schaeffer-

Cool!

That's amazing! Share more photos, Dean.

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Ivan R. Schoen, B.A., M.A., M.L.I.S.
Pastor of Maranatha Baptist Church (SBC)
Poplar Grove, IL, USA
http://maranatha-sbc.org

Amazing little bug!

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John
Member
Christ Presbyterian Church (OPC)
Salt Lake City, Utah
www.christpres.net

Any guess as to how all the stem pieces adhere to its body? Perhaps it secretes a sticky glue-like substance. But doing the arranging is the real trick!

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Norm
IA PCA

In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will. Ephesians 1:4-5

That is pretty amazing! It's neat to see the complexity in the pattern and design in creating its little shell!

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Yvonne
Reformed Presbyterian
Currently seeking a Church

"A man's most glorious actions will at last be found to be but glorious sins, if he hath made himself, and not the glory of God, the end of those actions." -T. Brooks

Aw man, a sensitive type caught it! I was hoping for progressive photos of its dissection.

Really neat critter, though I wonder how it gets that junk on its body. Interesting.

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Andrew Thornquist My Photo Album
Calvinistic Baptist
Ukiah, California
To follow Christ was the best decision God made for me!

I bet it uses silk.

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Jonathan
Audio Engineer
Reformed Anabaptist
Ohio

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