Professor Aris Thorne adjusted his magnifying loupe and peered at the wriggling creature on the leaf. "Class," he announced, tapping his clipboard, "today we dissect a living machine. The caterpillar. Its parts, viz.:
A student raised a hand. "Professor, which part is most important?" caterpillar parts viz
"Along the abdomen, viz. a row of tiny dots— spiracles . Air enters here, travels through tracheal tubes, and delivers oxygen directly to the tissues. No lungs. No blood circulation for gas exchange. Just plumbing." Professor Aris Thorne adjusted his magnifying loupe and
The old man smiled, closing his notebook. "None alone. But together, viz. the whole—they form a eating, climbing, surviving miracle. Tomorrow it will spin a silk pad. Next week, a chrysalis. Next month, wings." Its parts, viz
"Now look here, viz. the prolegs —stubby, unjointed fleshy protrusions on segments three through six, plus the last segment. See the tiny hooks? Crochets . They act like Velcro, anchoring the animal to silk pads or rough bark. Without them, it would fall at the first breeze."
"Three segments behind the head. Each bears a pair of jointed true legs , complete with a tiny claw. These are the caterpillar's only permanent appendages. Watch how it uses them to grip a stem—like a mountaineer on a cliff."
The Specs of the Specimen