tucked against the rib of a large Green leaf...
This bright lime caterpillar with orange horns caught my eye like a tiny sunbeam hiding in the shade. Its body is a vivid yellow green with delicate white stripes running down the back and those striking orange red “horns” at the rear tipped with black make it look almost otherworldly. This is a Tersa Sphinx Moth caterpillar, one of the many beautiful hornworms that call Costa Rica’s rainforests home.
I found it during a quiet morning walk, completely still, patiently preparing for the next chapter of its life. In a few weeks it will form a chrysalis, dissolve and emerge as a strong, fast flying sphinx moth. Another quiet miracle happening right under our noses.
Seeing this little caterpillar reminded me how much transformation happens in silence. We don’t always get to witness the messy middle, but the wild keeps doing its patient, beautiful work anyway.
These small, hidden moments of change are some of my favorite things to discover here. They whisper the same thing the butterflies and orchids do... trust the process. Something winged and wonderful is always forming.
