But then the team began to find many of these caterpillars. All of these are covered with other insects and body parts of the shed skin, all near the spider net. “We’ve started to realize that these things are just hanging out where the spiders are,” Rubinov said. “Because it’s not incredible, it’s unimaginable.”
Genomic analysis confirmed the suspected researchers and shed light on possible evolutionary pathways for bone collectors. The bone caterpillars may have just been discovered by humans, but they are at least 5 million years old, perhaps 12 million years ago, and are older than Oahu. Mount Waianae. No other known members of the same lineage have been found yet, suggesting that the species occurred on early islands of subsequently subsided chains.
Dressed for success
Why do caterpillars do this? “It’s a decoration or death situation,” Rubinov said. “In evolutionary history, the history that didn’t adorn cases was probably removed from the gene pool quite quickly. However, some of them have survived, starting to incorporate bugs and spider bits into cases.
Bone collector larva on the web.
Rubinoflavo/University of Hawaii, Manoa
Secure the adult female (left) in a bone collector’s caterpillar and portable case (right) with larvae decorated with ants, bark, weevils and fly body parts.
D. Rubinoff et al. , 2025
Secure the adult female (left) in a bone collector’s caterpillar and portable case (right) with larvae decorated with ants, bark, weevils and fly body parts.
D. Rubinoff et al. , 2025
Bone collector’s case.
Rubinoflavo/University of Hawaii, Manoa
Bone collector’s case.
Rubinoflavo/University of Hawaii, Manoa
Secure the adult female (left) in a bone collector’s caterpillar and portable case (right) with larvae decorated with ants, bark, weevils and fly body parts.
D. Rubinoff et al. , 2025
Bone collector’s case.
Rubinoflavo/University of Hawaii, Manoa
Because placing body parts in too-ordered fashion will beat the purpose of camuflage around the 3D co-neck that they like. “They are not going to roam between the two trees. They hide in a small hole in logs with cob nests,” Rubinov said. “Supers detect vibrations in the web, hurry out to grab prey, smell in themselves, and assume they’ve already been eaten and nothing new to eat.”
