A Sad Faced Monarch Caterpillar

Caption: A monarch caterpillar reflects on a green cloth.

Sometimes when the "antennae" droop forward and the caterpillars head hangs down, it's hard not wonder if your cat is silently screaming for depression meds. However, butterflies do not have human emotion as all their behavior is born from instinct.

However, many animals possess both instinct and emotion. The giddiness of an adult butterfly as it's sipping sweet nectar from a favorite flower would seem to indicate excitement or happiness.

That bodes the question, can a caterpillar have emotions over its instincts?

Camera: Nikon D60 with 18-55mm Zoom lens.

Caterpillar Facts: Caterpillars possess genetic programming referred to as instincts. These instincts produce a physical sensation which guide the larva's actions including eating, sleeping, and when to form a chrysalis.