Eastern black swallowtail caterpillar (Papilo polyxenes) in defensive posture with "horns" fully extended and "spitball" at maximum size. Horns give o

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Eastern black swallowtail caterpillar (Papilo polyxenes) in defensive posture with "horns" fully extended and "spitball" at maximum size. Horns give off offensive odor and spit tastes bad, providing some defense against attacks of predators. (See companion photo showing partial erection.)

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Size: 3844px × 5336px
Photo credit: © Gerry Bishop / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No

Keywords: black, butterfly, caterpillar, defense, defensive, eastern, erection, horns, insect, mechanisms, odor, papilo, polyxenes, spit, spitball, swallowtail