Caterpillars are slow moving bags of protien, which makes them sought after a source of food. Som caterpillars reliy on camouflage
for protection, but the disadvantage of camouflage is that it depends on staying in an appropriately coloured area. Hairy caterpillars
protect themselves with long, brittle often barbed spines that irritate any predator so much that the caterpillar is just not worth the
effort. Apparantly bronze-cuckoos have worked out how to get around this, but for those of us who haven't probably not a good
idea to handle these.