Larva of a brownish yellow butterfly

On a green leaf that was already beginning to develop holes, a caterpillar was enjoying a delicious meal. It was enjoying the leaf it was perched on. The holes in the leaf had begun to enlarge, and some of the segments on the edges had already been eaten. It had likely been on the plant for quite some time.

The caterpillar was very small, about the size of a toothpick. Its beautiful color and unique characteristics made it impossible to ignore. Its slender and flexible body made it visually appealing as it moved. Its color was a brownish-orange. Its entire body was covered in sharp spines. The appearance of these spines was also quite unique, branching out like a tree whose leaves had all fallen.

At first, I thought the caterpillar was alone. I idly looked for its relatives, and it turned out they were in a group. They were all busy with their own activities. Most of them were eating leaves. The others were wandering around the branches of the plant where they had stopped. Most likely, those on the branches of the plant are seeking a comfortable place to move on to the next phase, a phase filled with a struggle between life and death. They're stuck in a cramped, dark, and silent space.

The caterpillar I encountered was the larva of a brownish yellow butterfly, known in Latin as Acraea terpsicore. Their habitat favors areas filled with fresh green leaves, as they require a large amount of food. I suspect that when they transform into butterflies, they will also prefer areas filled with fresh green leaves.