You Think Pop Rocks Are Weird?

Meet the caterpillar whose favorite food explodes!

You know how sometimes you eat something and say to yourself “well, that didn’t agree with me”? Just be thankful you’re not the netted carpet moth caterpillar, whose diet consists exclusively of seed pods that explode when eaten. The caterpillar, once thought to be extinct — gee, can’t imagine why — survives in a small area by dining on the seed pods of the aptly-named touch-me-not balsam, which gives the moth-to-be an early taste of what it’ll be like to fly. (via Murray C.)




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Links: O Sole Meow


Cat sings, kangaroo preschool, murder mittens, and broccoli with extra protein.

And finally: The Lyin’ Kings

“It’s all right, folks, just a short delay. It’s only a couple of lions this time so we shouldn’t be here too lo — AW HELL NO!” (via Andrew Y.)

A pride of lyings

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Links: Can We Not Do This?

And finally: Thistle Do Nicely

From reader Diane B., “a caterpillar munching on a thistle flower in my yard… and you can hear the munches.”




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Crawl for Reinforcements!

History has largely forgotten the Les cavaliers de chenille (“caterpillar cavalry”) of the French Foreign Legion, because they often arrived late to battle. Members of this regiment often evolved into les bombardiers papillon — the butterfly air force.

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