A beautiful Eight-spotted Forester caterpillar dangles from a silken belay line attached to an overhead leaf. This is a common strategy to avoid potential threats, used by many caterpillars. If a threat is detected, the caterpillar "leaps" from the leaf, and arrests its fall before it hits the ground with a strong strand of silk. After some time has passed, the caterpillar will begin to eat the silken belay line, thus climbing back to its perch. The Eight-spotted Forester becomes an interesting moth that when at rest, resembles a bird dropping. The caterpillars eat only plants in the grape family - one of many species of moths that are wedded strictly to grape and their allies.