Kawaii Katerpillar

MERRY CHRISTMAS LETS CELEBRATE WITH A CATERPILLAR

(Not a suckling caterpillar that would be gross)

I have found THE most adorable caterpillar ever. Meet Diadema charonda, the Japanese emperor moth! It’s also known as the great purple emperor, charonda emperor, purple crownfly, or oh-murasaki (オオムラサキ), which means "great purple" in Japanese.

And look at its little face!

They eat the flowers, leaves, and berries of the Jesso hackberry (Celtis jessoensis). They’re native to Japan (such as Hokkaido and Kyushu), Vietnam, Taiwan, China, and the Korean Peninsula. The adult males have a wingspan of 2 inches while the females top at 2.6.

And what beautiful butterflies they turn into...