Love how you described the termite scene and can't help but wonder if termites there are like (y)our ants? Or do you have ants too, out there?

No termites, here in Portugal, but plenty of ants.

I hung out with a friend yesterday - and her two daughters ( age 7 and 9 ) - and the girls and I saw a caterpillar being attacked by a handful of little agressive ants.

The hairy fello was trying to escape them, in vain.

We decide to intervent ( at the risk of angering the gods haha ) and save the caterpillar from the ants.

In all honesty, when we found it lying next to the swimming pool ( exhausted or dying ), we decided to move it to a shadowy spot on a cool stone, 50 meters awaya. We laid it down it on a bed of leaves. The girls covered it with more leaves, so it could rest and or go to caterpillar heaven ( butterflying ).

Awesome pictures. Sure sounds like a lovely walk!