Sometimes nature seeks you out

[urbpan]

I was on my way to lunch one day last week when I caught some movement out of the corner of my eye. A distinctly caterpillary movement, across the thigh of my khakis. When I arrived at my destination I picked up my passenger and got this picture.

This is a moth caterpillar, known as a "filament bearer" (Nematocera). When they are disturbed they can inflate those doo-dads on their back in some kind of defensive behavior. This one seemed pretty calm, not that I would have been deterred by such a display.