The Owner Of This Car Never Imagined This Would Happen To His Car In Just One Night

#1

A person living in Rotterdam, Holland must've been very surprised to find their car covered in this.

It looks like spider webbing, and it's super creepy.

#2

It's actually silk webbing from caterpillars of a species of Ermine moth.

#3

The car wasn't the only thing to be covered, and it certainly wasn't the main goal for the caterpillars.

#4

Why did this happen? For two fairly simple reasons, actually. The caterpillars needed food, and they needed protection from predators.

The caterpillars started out on a particular food plantprobably a tree, flower, or nearby bush. As they grew in size, they needed webbing for protection from birds, their primary predator. As they moved, their webbing moved with them.

#5

How did the caterpillars cover such a massive area?

The caterpillars began to occupy such a large space because, well, they reproduce quicklyabout 50 eggs are laid at a time. Since they needed to expand to find more food, the caterpillars worked as an army of labor to extend the reach of their web. Gotta have that defense.

#6

Of course, the caterpillars didn't think the car was food.

In order to find new food, though, the caterpillars had to expand their searchable area, and had to take their defense with them. That meant covering everything in the general area with webbing as they searched for sustenance. Thus, the car was covered.

#7

How would you feel if you parked your car overnight and came back to it covered with caterpillars and webbing in the morning?

You'd probably be totally freaked out. I know I would be.