Nightmarish meat-loving moth larvae in Hawaii could inspire a generation of horror movies

Hawaii is home to evolutionary mutant insects that we should all thank our lucky stars are much smaller than humans. The carnivorous caterpillars that belong to a family of moths go through a meat-loving transformation of horror. In fact, the Eupithecia genus that lives in Hawaii probably inspired the gruesome graphics of the "Devil May Cry 5" video game. The creatures could also probably spawn a generation of horror Movies. These are not your usual leaf-munching garden caterpillars that grow into fairytale butterfly beauty.

A BBC Nature documentary on the Pacific Islands featured them, and they noted that "this is a carnivorous caterpillar, with a vice-like hold and a bite to match."

Larvae of the Eupithecia moth genus are meat-lovers in Hawaii

Most moths go about in their larval stage as caterpillars, chomping on leaves or pollen when they're not being eaten by birds or whisked away to a ghastly death by wasps. Some wasps inject their eggs into caterpillars, which hatch and eat their way to freedom from the inside. I think we can all recall some alien-type horror movies of a similar theme. But in Hawaii, it seems a family of caterpillars decided to mutate into a creature that bites back. Their evolutionary path armed them with "rather scary-looking appendages," Gizmodo reported.

Those nightmarish appendages enable them to be the only known predator of the caterpillar family that consumes living flesh.

Particularly fond of eating flies, one type wedges itself firmly on a branch and stretches out so it looks like a long, thin twig.

When a fly lands on it's back - wham! The hellish front bit whips around and grabs the unfortunate irritating beastie. But they don't discriminate and will capture moths, crickets, and even other caterpillars. Their sharp talon-type appendages hold the victim still while the mouthparts start devouring their prey alive. Others dig out channels on leaves and ambush insects walking on the leaves.

The secret life of carnivorous caterpillars

The Hawaiian Forest website revealed that the carnivorous caterpillars kept their meat-eating habits secret for nearly a hundred years. First identified in 1881, it was only in 1972 that their horror story emerged. They wrote, "Steve Montgomery is credited with discovering the first carnivorous caterpillar known to science." Put a fly in a glass bottle with a caterpillar and what have you got? A disappeared from the planet fly and a satisfied creepy monster from hell. Of all of the different types of Eupithecia in Hawaii, only two types practice the more sedate vegetarian diet.

What do you think of this nasty-looking predatory carnivore mutant caterpillar species in Hawaii? Do you think they could spawn a nightmarish generation of horror movies? Stay in touch with interesting nature stories by checking in with Blasting News often.