float like a butterfly, sting like a caterpillar

Caterpillars are fascinating. They look fuzzy & cute, but, like almost everything in nature, they have built-in defense systems. A week or so after I took this photo, a different little fuzzy caterpillar found its way inside my shirt collar. After making their presence known by a rather sharp sting, I moved them along their way. And then I proceeded to have a reaction on my neck for close to a week. Strong defenses for a little one.

Still cute, though.

What’s something in your world that looks harmless but packs the proverbial punch? And is there something to learn from that?