Larva of the Suffused Hawk-moth

On an old, time-worn palm leaf, a green caterpillar was crawling slowly. It moved slowly and carefully across the leaf, as if reading the story of the earth through its own body. Its color was so sweet, the soft green blending beautifully with the brown of the palm leaf. The colors blended so perfectly, at first glance, the caterpillar looked like a leaf that had chosen to come back to life in a different form. It was truly extraordinary.

The caterpillar was the larva of the Suffused Hawk-moth, a moth in the Sphingidae family. This caterpillar was one of the largest I've ever encountered. I felt goosebumps as I photographed it. Its eyes kept staring at me. I knew they were fake, but I still felt goosebumps as I stared into them. Its gaze was piercing, one might say deadly. I tried to remain calm as I photographed it, even though my heart was racing.