Lujan Eroles, a 46-year-old woman from the Argentinian town of Santa Fe, experienced a moment of extreme fear when she encountered a truly unusual creature. She screamed at the sight, immediately attracting the attention of curious neighbors.
"I've never seen anything like it. It looked like a snake, but its eyes were weird. I was worried it was poisonous," said Lujan, who was still shaking before the encounter.
The Eroles creature captured on film had the color of a snake, but she was comforted by the fact that it was only 10 centimeters long. After the video was shared online, speculation about its species began to spread.
Below the video, numerous users flocked to comment and express their concern about the strange creature
One person said: its a gaudy sphinx moth caterpillar (Eumorpha labruscae).
A second wrote: It's a beautiful moth caterpillar, I had them on my lemon and lime trees.
A third commented: Did that caterpillar grow up next to a nuclear power plant? That is a massive caterpillar.
According to experts, the creature is believed to be a caterpillar of a rare butterfly found in Central America. Lacking defensive weapons, this particular caterpillar has evolved a snake-catching style, effectively deterring would-be hunters.
By mimicking the appearance of a venomous snake, the caterpillar can hide from hidden threats. This adaptation is particularly rare among Mesoamerican moths, making the discovery experience all the more fascinating.
Lujan Eroles' encounter with the serpentine caterpillar butterfly reinforced the fascination and low expectations of locals and nature lovers. As scientists continue to study this strange creature, the work is a reminder that there is still much to discover and understand about the limit natural world.
