Brilliantly-hued insect larvae found in Nintendo's 2002 Metroid Fusion Game Boy Advance video game. Psychedelic Caterpillars inhabit the Nocturnal (NOC) module (Sector 6) of the Biologic Space Laboratory complex in orbit around the Planet SR388--as the name suggests, this environment has little light, which suits the dark-loving organisms being studied there just fine. The luminescent markings of these arthropods are beautiful, but also potentially deadly: Psychedelic Caterpillars disorientate prey by undulating their bodies, creating cascading patterns of color across their flesh that can daze anything that stares at them for too long--once the target succumbs, the wriggling rainbows quickly move in to feed. While these creatures aren't particularly aggressive, physical contact with their antennae will result in a painful sting, which, aside from tasting horrible, is their primary means of deterring larger predators. The BSL entomologists have, thus far, been unsuccessful in getting any of their research specimens to undergo metamorphosis, so, the adult insect form of the Psychedelic Caterpillar is still unknown at this time.


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Materials:
Newsprint, tissue paper, white glue, a wire twist tie, and acrylic paint.

Dimensions:
3.4 cm/1.3 in. x 1.8 cm/0.7 in. (widest point x highest point)

Time:
Several hours on January 30, 2011.
I didn't like my initial paint job on the finished figure, so I repainted it, and added a tongue, on February 1, 2011. I'm still not crazy about the paint work, but it's better than it was.