Caterpillar body shape. The most dangerous caterpillars in Russia

A caterpillar is the larva of a butterfly, moth or moth - insects from the order Lepidoptera.

Caterpillar - description, characteristics, structure and photo. What does a caterpillar look like?

Torso

The length of the caterpillar, according to the variety, varies from a few millimeters to 12 cm, as in individual specimens of the Saturnia butterfly (peacock eye).

The caterpillar's body consists of a clearly visible head, thoracic, abdominal sections and several pairs of limbs located on the chest and abdomen.

Head

The caterpillar's head is represented by six fused segments, forming a hard capsule. Between the forehead and eyes the area of the cheeks is conventionally distinguished; at the bottom of the head there is the occipital foramen, which looks like a heart.

A round head shape is typical for most caterpillars, although there are exceptions. For example, many have a triangle-shaped head, while other species have a rectangular head.

The parietal parts can protrude strongly above the head, forming a kind of “horns”. Small antennae, consisting of 3 consecutive joints, grow on the sides of the head.

Oral apparatus

All caterpillars are distinguished by the gnawing type oral apparatus. The insect's upper jaws are well formed: their upper edge contains teeth designed for gnawing or tearing food. Inside there are tubercles that perform the function of chewing food. Salivary glands converted into specific spinning (silk separating) machines.

Eyes

The eyes of caterpillars are a primitive visual apparatus containing a single lens. Typically, several simple ocelli are located one behind the other, in an arc, or they form 1 complex eye merged from 5 simple ones. Plus 1 eye is located inside this arc. Thus, caterpillars have 5-6 pairs of eyes in total.

Torso

The caterpillar's body consists of segments separated by grooves and is covered in a soft shell, which provides the body with maximum mobility. The anus is surrounded by special lobes that have varying degrees development.

The insect's respiratory organ, the spiracle, is a stigma located on the chest. Only in species living in water are the spiracles replaced by tracheal gills.

Most caterpillars have 3 pairs of thoracic limbs and 5 pairs of false abdominal legs. The abdominal limbs end in small hooks. On each thoracic limb there is a sole with a claw, which the caterpillar retracts or protrudes when moving.

The legs of the caterpillar were peeled off by the moth

There are no completely naked caterpillars: the body of each is covered with various formations - outgrowths, hairs or a well-grown cuticle. Cuticle growths are star-shaped, spines or granules that look like small hairs or bristles. Moreover, the bristles grow strictly in a certain way, characteristic of a particular family, genus and even species.

The outgrowths consist of raised skin formations - tubercles, similar to flat, round or oval warts and spines. Caterpillar hairs are represented by thin individual threads or tufts.

Caterpillar development

Depending on the species, the caterpillar can develop from several weeks to several years. Caterpillars northern species butterflies do not have time to complete their development cycle in one season, so they hibernate (diapause) until next summer.

For example, a butterfly, living in the Arctic Circle, can remain in the caterpillar stage for up to 12-14 years.

During its development cycle, the caterpillar undergoes not only significant age-related changes size and color of the body, but also striking metamorphoses.

For example, the transformation of an almost naked caterpillar into a furry one or vice versa.

At the end of the development cycle, the caterpillar turns into a pupa, from which a butterfly then emerges.

Caterpillars molt

Each caterpillar molts several times during its entire period of existence. To the smallest number Miner caterpillars are susceptible to molting (2 times). The standard number of molts is 4, although some species molt 5 or 7 times. Adverse conditions environment cause a sharp increase in the number of molts, for example, a caterpillar clothes moth can molt from 4 to 40 times. It has also been observed that females molt more often than males.

The caterpillar secretes sweet nectar, which the ant drinks.

Types of caterpillars - photos and names

Among the great variety of different caterpillars, the following varieties are of greatest interest:

Cabbage caterpillar or cabbage butterfly caterpillar (cabbage white butterfly) (Pieris brassicae)

lives throughout the territory Eastern Europe, northern Africa to Japanese islands, and also introduced to South America. The caterpillar is 3.5 cm long, has 16 legs and has a light green body covered with black warts and short black hairs. Depending on the weather, the caterpillar stage lasts from 13 to 38 days. These caterpillars feed on cabbage, horseradish, radishes, turnips, turnips and shepherd's purse. They are considered the main pest of cabbage.

Moth caterpillar (surveyor) (Geometridae)

characterized by long thin body and undeveloped abdominal legs, due to which it is distinguished by an original method of movement - it bends in a loop, while pulling the abdominal legs towards the pectoral legs. The family includes more than 23 thousand species of moths, distributed throughout the world. All types of caterpillars of this family have well-developed muscles, so they are able to attach themselves vertically to plants, perfectly imitating broken branches and petioles. The color of the caterpillars is similar to the color of foliage or bark, which additionally serves as an excellent camouflage. They eat tree needles and hazel.

(Cerura vinula = Dicranura vinula)

lives throughout Europe, in Central Asia and in northern Africa. Adult caterpillars grow up to 6 cm and are distinguished by a green body with a purple diamond on the back, bordered by a white outline. In case of danger, the caterpillar inflates, takes a threatening pose and sprays out a caustic substance. The insect remains in the caterpillar stage from early summer to September, feeding on the leaves of plants from the willow and poplar families, including the common aspen.

Redtail caterpillar (Calliteara pudibunda)

found in the forest-steppe zone throughout Eurasia, as well as in Asia Minor and Central Asia. A caterpillar up to 5 cm long is pinkish, brown or gray. The body is densely covered with individual hairs or tufts of hair, at the end there is a tail of protruding crimson-colored hairs. This is a poisonous caterpillar: upon contact with human skin, it causes a painful allergy. These caterpillars eat leaves different trees and shrubs, especially preferring hops.

Caterpillar silkworm (Bombyx mori) or silkworm

Lives in East Asia: in northern China and Russia, in the southern regions of Primorye. The caterpillar is 6-7 cm long, its wavy body is densely covered with blue and brown hairy warts. After 4 molts, completing the 32-day development cycle, the color of the caterpillar becomes yellow. The food of the silkworm caterpillar is exclusively mulberry leaves. This insect has been actively used in sericulture since the 27th century BC. e.

Corrosive woodworm caterpillar(Zeuzera pyrina)

from the carpenter family. Found in all areas European countries, except for the Far North, as well as in South Africa, Southeast Asia and North America. It overwinters twice, during which time it changes color from yellow-pink to yellow-orange with black, glossy warts. The length of the insect is 5-6 cm. Caterpillars live inside branches and trunks various trees, feeding on their juices.

Swallowtail caterpillar(Papilio machaon)

lives throughout Europe, Asia, northern Africa and North America. One of the most colorful caterpillars: at first black, with scarlet warts, and as it grows it becomes green with black transverse stripes. Each stripe contains 6-8 red-orange spots. The disturbed caterpillar secretes an odorous orange-yellow liquid. It feeds on celery, wormwood, parsley, and sometimes alder leaves.

The smallest caterpillar in the world is a member of the moth family.

For example, clothes moth caterpillars ( Tineola bisselliella), having just emerged from the egg, reach a length of only 1 mm.

The largest caterpillar in the world- this is the caterpillar of the peacock eye atlas ( Attacus atlas).

The bluish-green caterpillar, as if dusted with white dust, grows up to 12 cm in length.

The class of insects is one of the most diverse and numerous representatives of living beings that inhabit globe. The most beautiful representatives of the family are butterflies, which differ from each other in the most diverse and intricate patterns located on their wings. Caterpillars are an integral natural target for the formation of butterflies. They also come in a variety of shapes and colors.

The birth of a butterfly is associated with a certain stage of insect development. After an adult has laid eggs in some secluded place, larvae emerge from them in the form of small worms. These worms are quite voracious creatures. They eat a lot of greens in order to move to another stage of development.

These larvae are called caterpillars. An insect can be a caterpillar for either several days or several years, depending on the species. Typically, each type of caterpillar eats a specific type of plant. They often become pests of any crops, fruit trees, berries, vegetables, fruits, etc. After a certain time, the caterpillar turns into a cocoon, which is called a pupa. Then an adult, called a butterfly, emerges from the cocoon.

Interesting to know! The larger the butterflies, the larger the caterpillars and vice versa.

All types of caterpillars may differ in size, development periods, colors, and habitats, but they all have the same body structure. The body structure of a caterpillar consists of:

From a well-defined head of regular round shape, oral apparatus, visual organs and horn-shaped antennae.
Breasts.
Abdominal section.
Several pairs of limbs.

As a rule, a caterpillar has at least 5-6 pairs of eyes located nearby. The mouth has several small teeth with which they chew plants. There are small hairs or spine-like growths on the body. Typically, the caterpillar moves quickly along leaves, branches and other surfaces.

Types of caterpillars with photos and names

Each type of butterfly has its own caterpillar. At the same time, the color of the caterpillar does not always match the color of the butterfly. In most cases, caterpillars are herbivores, although there are also predatory species. Depending on the food consumed, caterpillars are:

Polyphages. These are caterpillars that indiscriminately eat any plant. This species includes moths such as wine hawk moth, ocellated hawkmoth, blind hawk moth, kaya bear, moths, peacock eye and others.
Monophages represent caterpillars that feed on one specific type of plant. These are cabbage grass, apple moth, silkworm and others.
Oligophages are caterpillars that prefer to feed on one type of plant belonging to one species of family or type. These are swallowtail butterflies, pine cutworm, polyxena, etc.
Xylophagous are a type of caterpillar that feeds on wood or bark. These include leaf rollers, woodworms and others.

Certain species of caterpillars inhabit subtropical regions, tropics, and northern regions. There are hundreds of species of such insects on the territory of each country. It is not by chance that caterpillars get their names. As a rule, they get their names depending on their main source of food. Some of the caterpillars were named so because they have a very interesting and intricate pattern on their wings.

Among all types of caterpillars, there are also valuable ones, such as the silkworm. Many caterpillars have a similar property. As the caterpillar moves, a thin thread remains behind. This thread serves as a kind of insurance in case an insect falls.

Interesting to know! Silk thread is obtained from the cocoon of the silkworm butterfly, after which silk fabric is woven from it, and then various products are sewn.

There are caterpillars up to 1 mm in size, as well as caterpillars more than 12 cm long. Among them there are quite beautiful specimens, completely inconspicuous, hairy, poisonous, and also those that can change their coloring during their development.

The following species are widespread in Russia:

Cabbage white (cabbage).
Peacock eye.
Moth (land surveyor).
Hawkmoth.
Admiral.

This is the most common type of caterpillar inhabiting the European part of Russia. The caterpillar is different green and body length within 3-4 cm. There are black growths and hairs on the body of the caterpillar. It got its name because it appears mainly on cabbage. In addition to cabbage, he can enjoy such crops as:

Radish.
Turnip.
Turnips.
Horseradish, etc.

An insect can remain in the caterpillar stage from 2 to 5 weeks. Depending on weather conditions. Despite such a short period of time, cabbage manages to cause serious damage to the crop.

This caterpillar is also called a land surveyor, due to its original method of movement. This is due to the underdevelopment of the front false legs. Thanks to its brown coloration, it manages to reliably camouflage itself among vegetation. In addition, thanks to the developed muscular system, the caterpillar can remain in an elongated, motionless state for a long time, depicting a broken twig or twig. This type of caterpillar feeds on tree needles, currant leaves, hazel, etc. The moth butterfly is distinguished by a thin, elongated body and wide, delicate wings. Butterflies fly mainly at night. They can be easily recognized by their slow and uneven flight.

This caterpillar can be found throughout forest-steppe zone our continent. It feeds on the foliage of various bushes. These are fluffy caterpillars whose bodies are covered with brown or gray hairs. The end of the body is distinguished by a bright scarlet color, which served as the basis for this name.

Interesting to know! The bright red tail of the insect indicates that the caterpillar is poisonous. Upon contact with the human body, an allergic reaction may occur.

The summer of butterflies is celebrated in the month of May-June. The redtail is quite prolific, as one female can lay up to 1000 eggs per tree. With the arrival of autumn, all the caterpillars leave the tree and the pupation process begins.

Redtail is considered a pest of fruit trees such as apple, plum, rowan, pedunculate oak, hornbeam, elm, etc.

It is quite large in size. The caterpillar is distributed throughout almost the entire territory of Europe, Asia, North America, as well as in the north of the African continent. The caterpillar is quite beautiful, just like the butterfly itself. At the same time, at its stage of development the caterpillar changes its color. At first the caterpillar is almost black with bright red spines. Over time, it turns green with black stripes, mixed with brown spots. This caterpillar can feed on:

Carrots.
Parsley.
Celery.
Wormwood.
Alder.

The hawk moth caterpillar can be found both in middle lane Russia, and in Siberia and on Far East. Prefers to eat leaves of birch, willow, and poplar. The caterpillar has a green body color, which allows it to camouflage perfectly among the leaves. The body is painted with diagonal thin stripes, which resemble the veins of leaves. You can see a kind of horn on the tail of this caterpillar.

This is a rather beautiful butterfly, which is distinguished by its relatively large size: its length reaches 10 cm, or even more. There are 2 types of these butterflies: the day peacock eye and the night peacock eye. In addition, there is also a large peacock eye butterfly, which has insignificant differences from the first two species. The butterfly caterpillar is also large and green in color. The peacock eye lives in the western part of Russia, the Caucasus and Crimea. Prefers the following fruit trees for food:

Apple tree.
Pear.
Walnut.
Plum.
Cherry.

Interesting to know! During the development process, the peacock butterfly larva changes its color. Before pupation begins, it turns yellow, and the pupa itself is distinguished by a brown tint.

Caterpillars can be great, easy-to-care pets for all adults and children. Other than being given enough food, caterpillars don't require much. The best part is watching these creatures cocoon themselves or become chrysalises and then magically transform into butterflies or moths a few days or weeks later. What could be better than this? Read on to learn how to properly care for a caterpillar and transform it into a butterfly.

Steps

Where to find caterpillars

Select right time year. The most better time for hunting caterpillars it is spring and summer, since most butterflies lay eggs at this time. However, some individuals (in particular, hairy caterpillars) appear in the fall. Winter is the only time of year when it is impossible to find caterpillars.

IN wildlife caterpillar survival rate is about 2%; this means that out of every hundred eggs laid by a butterfly, only two will survive to adulthood. This happens due to large number predators whose food is caterpillars. Thus, by taking a caterpillar as a pet, you give it a much greater chance of survival.
Be aware that fall caterpillars are more likely to remain chrysalised all winter, so you will have to wait much longer for the butterfly to emerge than with spring or summer caterpillars, where the wait is 2-3 weeks.

Look for caterpillars on plants. The best place The caterpillars' favorite plants to look for are their favorite plants, since caterpillars usually stay close to their food source. If you are not picky about the type of caterpillar you want to care for, you can check the leaves of any plant in your garden or park. However, if you are looking for specific caterpillars/butterflies/moths, then you will have to target specific plant species. Here are some of the most common:

Order specific types of caterpillars online. If you need a special type of caterpillar/butterfly and cannot find it yourself, then there is always the option of ordering from a specialized supplier via the Internet.

Handle the caterpillars carefully. When you find a caterpillar, it is very important to handle it correctly. If you try to take the caterpillar, it may great strength catch on the surface it is on, and if you pull, you can damage the caterpillar or even tear off its legs.

Where and how to place caterpillars
1. Keep your caterpillar in a suitable container. Caterpillars don't need anything fancy to house them in - a 5 liter jar or aquarium is ideal. The jar or aquarium is easy to clean, and the caterpillar will be clearly visible through the walls.
  - Cover the container with gauze or mesh and secure with a rubber band to ensure proper ventilation. Do not poke holes in the screw top of the jar, as some sites advise, as the caterpillars may attempt to escape through these holes and injure themselves on the sharp edges.
  - If you are placing more than one track, make sure each one has three times the space larger size her body so that she can move calmly. This way you will avoid overcrowding.
2. Place on the bottom of the container paper towel or fill up with soil. It is a good idea to line the bottom of the container with paper, as it will absorb excess moisture and also collect caterpillar excrement. You can easily clean the track container by discarding one piece of paper and laying down another.
  
  Place a couple of sticks in the container. This is a good idea for a number of reasons:
  - First, the caterpillars will have something to climb on, which they may need to do to get to their food.
  - Secondly, the caterpillar may want to pupate while hanging from a branch. That is, you must check that the stick is held securely and will not fall.
  - Thirdly, when a butterfly hatches from a pupa, it needs to hang upside down on something to spread and dry its wings.
3. Keep the container moist. Most caterpillars prefer a somewhat moist environment. The best way To achieve this, periodically spray the container with a spray bottle.
How to feed caterpillars
1. If you don't know the food plant, experiment with various types leaves. Caterpillars are very selective in food, and each species has limited quantity the plants they feed on. In fact, most caterpillars will starve if given the wrong food. So if your caterpillar refuses the leaves of the plant you found it on, or if you find the caterpillar on something other than a plant, you will have to figure out its food plant through trial and error.
  
  The leaves must be fresh. Caterpillars will not eat old or dried leaves, so it is important to provide them with fresh green leaves at all times. The frequency of providing leaves will depend on the plant, some may last a week, others need to be renewed daily.
  
  Don't worry about giving the caterpillar water. Caterpillars do not need to drink, all necessary water they get it with food.
  - However, if the caterpillar looks somewhat dried out, you will need to increase the humidity in the container, try rinsing the leaves with water and placing them in the container without drying them out.
  - Drops of water on the leaves will provide the necessary moisture.
Transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly
1. Don't worry if your caterpillar stops eating or becomes slow. Don't worry too much if the caterpillar suddenly stops eating, becomes slow, or starts to change color - this could be preparation for pupation, so this is completely normal behavior.
  
  Make sure the chrysalis is hanging off the ground. When the caterpillar is ready, it will pupate, thereby beginning the process of becoming a butterfly. Many moth caterpillars burrow into the ground to make a cocoon, while the caterpillars of common butterflies develop into a chrysalis that hangs above the ground.
  
  Clean the container and keep it moist. When the pupa is formed, you need to clean the container, removing food and waste. Even though the pupa is alive, it does not require food or water.
  
  Wait for the pupa to darken or lighten. Now all you have to do is wait! Some butterflies and moths emerge in as little as eight days, while others can take months or even years.

Many of them are ready to do anything to protect themselves and their food from predators.

Their brightness most often indicates toxicity, and the hairs and spines contain a toxic cocktail.

Here are a few beautiful but dangerous caterpillars, from which it is better to stay away.

Caterpillars (photo)

What does a coquette caterpillar look like? like a miniature furry animal. However, as soon as you touch it, an unpleasant surprise awaits you.

Poisonous spines hidden under her "fur" release poison, causing severe throbbing pain , which can radiate into the armpit,five minutes after contact with the caterpillar. Red erymatous spots may appear at the site of contact. Other symptoms include: headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal discomfort, lymph node damage, sometimes shock or difficulty breathing.

The pain usually subsides after an hour, and the spots disappear after a few days. However, if hit large quantity poison, symptoms can last up to 5 days.

2. Saddle Caterpillar(Sibine stimulea)

The hoary caterpillar attracts attention with its bright colors, and believe me, you better stay away from it. Its fleshy horns are covered with hairs that secrete poison.

Touching them will cause pain similar to a bee sting, swelling, nausea and rash which will last for several days.

Types of caterpillars

3. Stinging rose caterpillar (Parasa indetermina)

The "stinging rose" caterpillar reaches a length of only 2.5 cm and is distinguished by its bright colors. But besides its yellow and red spots, what attracts the most attention are its spiny tubercles protruding from different sides.

The tips on these tubercles, as one might guess, release poison. If you touch one of them, the ends will break off and you will have skin irritation.

Euclea delphinii)

This caterpillar is not that dangerous to people, although touching it will still cause rash. This is due to the spiny tubercles located on the back and sides.

As a rule, these caterpillars live on oaks, willows, as well as beech, cherry, maple and other deciduous trees.

5. Caterpillar of the black bear (Tyria jacobaeae)

Some caterpillars become toxic through the plants they eat. And this applies to the caterpillars of the mole bear, which feed on poisonous ragwort.

They eat so much of this plant that in New Zealand, Australia and North America they are used to control the growth of ragwort. This plant is lethal to cattle and horses and poses some health hazard to humans.

If you are sensitive to caterpillar hairs, touching them may cause urticaria, atopic bronchial asthma, renal failure and cerebral hemorrhage.

Caterpillars crawl (video)

6. Caterpillars marching silkworm(Thaumetopoea pityocampa)

Traveling silkworm caterpillars live in groups in large silken nests high on pine trees.

They follow each other from the nest to the pine needles in search of food. And as you may have guessed, contact with them is dangerous. They are covered with thousands of tiny harpoon-shaped hairs, the touch of which causes severe skin irritation.

7. Bag caterpillar (Ochrogaster lunifer)

Just like the caterpillars of the traveling silkworm, these representatives live in groups in a silk bag, emerging at night and following each other in search of food. However, the danger from them is greater.

IN South America they pose a health risk. The poison that is found in their bristles is powerful anticoagulant. This means that if you accidentally touch them, you risk bleeding from a small cut or internal bleeding.

8. Saturnia io caterpillar (Automeris io)

This caterpillar is native to Canada and the United States, and although it looks like an adorable little thing with green spiked pom-poms, remember that they are for viewing only.

No matter how tiny their spines may seem, the poison they contain can cause painful itching and even dermatitis.

9. Witch moth caterpillar (Phobetron pithecium)

If you thought the coquette caterpillar looked rather unusual, admire this furry creature. The witch moth caterpillar, also called the slug monkey, is often found in orchards.

People vary in their susceptibility to these caterpillars and in some they cause unpleasant symptoms, including itching and rash.

10. Hickory Bear Caterpillar (Lophocampa caryae)

It seems as if these caterpillars are dressed in winter fur coats. Most of the hairs covering their body are fairly harmless, but they do have four long black hairs on the front and back that should be avoided.

Touching them leads to rash and more serious problems with health, in case of hairs getting into the eyes. Moreover, they are still bite.

Poisonous caterpillars

11. Lazy clown caterpillar (Lonomia obliqua)

This peacock butterfly caterpillar can safely be called a killer caterpillar. Its thorns are filled with poisonous coagulant - anticoagulant, which can lead to human death.

Light touching of these caterpillars can lead to headache, fever, vomiting and if left untreated, internal bleeding, renal failure and hemolysis.

Their venom is so powerful that scientists are studying it in hopes of developing a drug that prevents blood clots.

12. White cedar moth caterpillar (leptocneria reducta)

This caterpillar already inspires fear with its appearance. The hairs of this tiny crawling "cactus" can cause allergic reaction itching in some people.

In addition, the caterpillars themselves live in large groups, swarming the tree at the same time, eating every single leaf before moving on.

Hemileuca maia)

One look at this caterpillar should discourage you from touching it. It is covered with hollow spines attached to a poison sac, and touching it will not only cause itching and burning, but will also lead to nausea.

They live mainly on oaks and willows from spring to mid-summer.

Orgyia leucostigma)

This caterpillar is easy to spot because of its red head, black back, and yellow stripes on its sides. Besides the fact that this caterpillar stings unpleasantly, it is considered a pest of trees, eating everything woody in its path.

But try to remove it from the power source, and you will be in trouble.

15. Carnivorous caterpillars

Although these caterpillars won't kill you, they do eat other insects, which is quite unusual for the common vegetarian menu caterpillars

And remember, if a caterpillar has spines or hairs, it is better not to touch it, as, most likely, it may be poisonous!

A caterpillar is one of the stages of butterfly development.

Before becoming a beautiful butterfly or moth, it is in the larval or caterpillar stage. The life of a caterpillar is very short, but very interesting.

Description, characteristics

A caterpillar is the larva of any insect from the order Lepidoptera. The sizes of the caterpillars are different: it can be from a few millimeters to 15 cm. Touching some of them is life-threatening. They can be poisonous.

The caterpillar's body has a head, thorax and abdomen. There are several pairs of limbs on the chest and abdomen. The whole body has several rings separated by grooves. By pulling up the rings, the caterpillar moves and moves its legs.

The caterpillar breathes through the stigma. There are several of them on the body. The head and chest have a hard shell. The rest of the body is soft and loose. The head is formed from several rings fused together. The shape of the head can be round, rectangular, core. The parietal parts can protrude forward and even form “horns”.

The mouthparts of caterpillars are highly developed. They can chew through any materials and obtain food for themselves using their external jaws. Inside there is an apparatus for chewing food with salivary glands. The eyes have a simple structure. There are several pairs of eyes on the head. Sometimes merged into one large eye. The entire body of the caterpillar is covered with hairs, scales, warts and other projections.

Types of caterpillars

There are as many species of caterpillars as there are species of butterflies and other lepidoptera.
Cabbage butterfly caterpillar. It grows up to 3-4 cm. It is yellow-green in color with black spots on the back and long white hairs.
Surveyor. It looks like a thin brown twig. The limbs are not developed, it moves in “loops”.
Big harpy. It reaches a size of 6cm and is green in color. There is a purple spot on the back. There is a pink “frame” around the head. The limbs and horns on the body are striped black and white. When defending, it sprays a caustic substance.
Peacock eyes. The largest representative. Grows up to 12cm. has a bluish-green color. All over the body, instead of hairs, there are outgrowths in the form of horns.
Dipper caterpillar. It is black and yellow in color and has tufts of hairs.
Silk caterpillar. Any caterpillar can produce silk, but only the silkworm was domesticated by humans several centuries ago. The caterpillar is called a silkworm. She has color white with many blue warts. At the end of the cycle it changes color to yellow. The caterpillar develops and lives for about a month. While pupating, it spins a cocoon of threads up to 1500 m long. The color can be white, pink, yellow, green. To obtain natural silk, the doll is kept for a couple of hours at a temperature of 100C. This temperature makes it easier to unwind the cocoon and use silk in production.

Poisonous caterpillars

Coloring allows you to distinguish a poisonous caterpillar from a “peaceful” one. The brighter the color. It is all the more likely that the caterpillar is poisonous. Contact with it for a person can cause teething, redness of the skin, shortness of breath, various pains and develop diseases.

Coquette caterpillar. Lives in Mexico. Very similar to a hamster. Fluffy brown beauty 2-3cm long. on contact may cause chest pain and shortness of breath.
Saddle caterpillar. It has a bright color: the back is poisonous green and has a large brown spot in the middle. The head and end of the abdomen are brown with thick horns. There are coarse hairs on the body. There is strong poison at the ends of these hairs.
Lazy cleaver. Lives in Uruguay and Mozambique. The caterpillar is small in length, 3-4 cm. It is black and white in color with green tufts of hard, milky-green hairs. Her poison may disrupt nervous system, cause bleeding of internal organs.
Burning rose. The main color is yellow, with red and blue stripes. Thick horns have spikes with poison. Upon contact, the spines break off and a rash appears on the skin.

Caterpillar development

Its development can last very quickly, or it can drag on for several decades. When hatching from an egg, the caterpillar undergoes several stages. Some of them are accompanied by significant changes, molting and other metamorphoses. The caterpillar itself grows and reaches adult size.

Some species moult several times and change color. This is typical for silkworm caterpillars. At the end of their life period, they look for a place to pupate and prepare their home.

stinging rose caterpillar photo

Caterpillars molt and are characterized by molting. Depending on the species, the caterpillar can molt from 2 to 40 times. Most often, during its life span, the caterpillar molts 4-5 times. The record holder for the number of molts is the moth. She can molt up to 40 times, with females doing this even more often.

The caterpillars that shed the least are miners. Only 2 times. The reasons for molting may be the crowding of an already grown larva in an old body. According to scientists, molting is accompanied by the fact that respiratory system does not grow with the caterpillar and changes only with new “skin”. The larvae's head contains a pheromone, which sends signals to shed its skin.

Where do caterpillars live?

The limited mobility of the caterpillar does not allow them to move quickly and change their habitat. Most often, caterpillars live on the ground, leaves, and plants. Some species live underwater. Depending on their lifestyle, there are secretive caterpillars and openly moving ones. TO hidden species include those who practically do not appear on the surface of the earth, but are located in the crust, underground.

They are divided into the following representatives:

Leafworms. They live in the leaves of trees, making a tubular house.
Carpophagous. They live in the fruits of plants and berries.
Xylophagous. They live inside tree trunks, under the bark.
Subterranean larvae live underground
Aquatic caterpillars live in bodies of water.
Miners. They live in roots, leaves, and buds.
Future butterflies lead an open lifestyle. They live where they feed: on the leaves of flowers and plants.

What do caterpillars eat?

Most caterpillars are vegetarians. They prefer plant leaves, roots, and flowers. Some make their way to their treats and lay eggs there. These pests include moths. She loves honey. At night, the moth sneaks into the hive and lays eggs in the honeycombs. The hatched larvae eat the wax and honey.

In general, the caterpillar is very voracious. To become a pupa, she must gain mass. The apple moth caterpillar can eat all the leaves on the apple tree and not “get enough.” If there are no other trees nearby, it pupates even when “hungry”.

There are also exotic foods depending on the type:

Cork moths feed on algae and fungus in wine barrels and beer vats;
Moth caterpillars live on the sloth's body and eat its algae that grows on its fur;
Moths eat building material ants - paper;
Caterpillars of cutworms and blueberries eat ants, while the ants adore the juice that it produces and live together;
Predatory caterpillars feed small insects and other caterpillars.

Fighting caterpillars: means and methods

Caterpillars can harm human crops and devour their lands. To preserve the harvest, some control methods are used. Sometimes he uses everything in turn:

Collection of caterpillars. Every day, collect colonies of caterpillars, destroy pupae and eggs.
Chemicals. Industry and botany create various compositions to preserve crops and get rid of unwanted visitors. This method is good at the beginning. Afterwards the caterpillars get used to the drugs.
In fields and large areas, birds do this job. They love to eat caterpillars. By building birdhouses, you can get rid of non-friends.
Infusions of herbs and foliage. Tomato tops, tobacco, chamomile, wormwood, herbs, and potatoes have good effectiveness.

Caterpillars are eaten by humans throughout their existence. More than 20 species of caterpillars are used as food
Medicinal tinctures are prepared from the pupae of caterpillars of some species.
The Chinese use caterpillars infected with a special fungus in treatment and Tibetan medicine.
The caterpillar blends in perfectly with environment
All caterpillars produce silk during their lives.
In the Arctic, the caterpillar lives up to 13 years, hibernating before each winter.

The caterpillar takes its place in nature. Her life seems unnoticed and short. But without her we would never see beautiful butterflies. Many species feed on caterpillars, especially birds. The unusual color allows it to camouflage itself or warn the enemy of a threat.