Who grows out of a caterpillar. Shape Changing: How a Caterpillar Turns into Butterflies

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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.

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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 hawkmoths 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.

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Oral apparatus.

All caterpillars are distinguished by a gnawing type of mouthparts. 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.

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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.

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.

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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.

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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.

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Silk caterpillar.

Each caterpillar secretes silk, which it uses to move around and attach to surfaces. When a caterpillar crawls along a branch, the finest silk trail trails behind it. If it falls from somewhere, it will definitely hang on its silk thread.

Silk separation occurs due to the spinning apparatus of the caterpillar, consisting of a spinning papilla-tube located on the sclerite.

The resulting silk fiber emerges from the opening of the labial glands and then undergoes a pressing process that gives the fiber a ribbon shape. The fibers of the caterpillar are secreted by a pair of glands and in the outlet duct of the glands they are glued together with a special sticky substance. The mechanism of hardening of silk fibers is not well understood, but the theory of hardening by drying has been rejected because the silk of aquatic caterpillars hardens directly in water.

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Most caterpillars live on land, although some species develop under water (broad-winged moths). And Hawaiian moth caterpillars live both on land and in water, being adapted to exist in any environment.

In accordance with their living conditions, caterpillars are divided into 2 categories: secretive and leading a free lifestyle.

Secretive caterpillars include the following varieties:

leafworms - develop in curled tree leaves;
frugivores (carpophagous) - live in fruits;
drillers (xylophagous) - live inside the trunks, shoots and roots of trees;
miners - make passages and inhabit the structure of leaves, petioles, buds and peel of fruits;
gall formers - provoke pathological growth of plant parts damaged by them;
underground caterpillars - live in the ground;
aquatic caterpillars - live in water.

The second type of caterpillars, which live freely on the plants they eat, make up the majority of caterpillars of large species of butterflies.

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What do caterpillars eat?

The hatched caterpillar first devours the shell of the egg in which it developed, and then proceeds to its main diet.

Most caterpillars are herbivores (phytophages) and feed on green mass and fruits of plants. According to the food supply, caterpillars are divided into 4 types:

polyphagous - indiscriminate caterpillars that eat any vegetation, for example, the caterpillars of most moths;
oligophages prefer plants of a certain family or genus. For example, swallowtail caterpillars eat only umbrella plants;
Monophages consume a single type of vegetation. Thus, silkworm caterpillars feed only on mulberry leaves;
xylophages do not eat anything except wood, and constitute a small variety of caterpillars - mainly glass beetles and wood borers.

The transitional form is considered to be a variety of caterpillars that eat lichens and tinder fungi. This category includes representatives of the genus of true moths. For example, the granary moth caterpillar thrives on poisonous ergot.

A few species of caterpillars are keratophagous by nature and eat elements of animal origin: horny substance, hair, wool and skin. Vivid examples are considered caterpillars of furniture, carpet and clothes moths. Caterpillars of true moths eat only wax, and bee moths eat honey.

Predatory caterpillars are the smallest group: most cases of predation occur when the population density is high and there is a lack of usual food. For example, cotton bollworm and bear moth caterpillars are carnivorous and attack their own kind, weakened and diseased caterpillars.

Caterpillars of the narrow-snouted and raspberry moths, as well as the sun moth, which feed on scale insects, are considered natural predators. Predatory blueberry caterpillars eat aphids, and moth caterpillars are exclusively insectivorous and are distinguished by a rich set of hunting devices for catching their victims.

There are species of caterpillars that live in symbiosis with ants - for example, some varieties of blueberries. These caterpillars live in the anthill and control the behavior of ants by chemical means, secreting a special sweet liquid, or by acoustic means, making special sounds that attract ants.

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Types of caterpillars - photos and names.

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

The cabbage caterpillar or the caterpillar of the cabbage butterfly (cabbage white butterfly) (lat. Pieris brassicae) lives throughout the territory Eastern Europe, northern Africa to the 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.

The caterpillar of the moth (land surveyor) (lat. Geometridae) is characterized by a 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, currants and hazel.

The great harpy caterpillar (lat. 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.

The red-tailed caterpillar (lat. Calliteara pudibunda) is 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.

Silkworm caterpillar (lat. 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.

Caterpillar of the corrosive woodworm (lat. Zeuzera pyrina) from the woodworm family. Found in all areas European countries, except for the Far North, as well as in South Africa, southeast asia and in 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. raspberries, strawberries, and feeds on them.

The swallowtail caterpillar (lat. 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 carrots, 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 (lat. Tineola bisselliella), which have just emerged from eggs, reach a length of only 1 mm.

The most big caterpillar in the world it is the caterpillar of the peacock eye atlas (lat. Attacus atlas). The bluish-green caterpillar, as if dusted with white dust, grows up to 12 cm in length.

Caterpillars in the garden, on summer cottage capable of destroying crops. The invasion of voracious pests indicates lack of attention to preventive measures.

Types of harmful caterpillars

Most leaf-eating insects cause damage to plants. Caterpillars damage leaves, suck out nutritious juice, and cause curling and drying out of the green mass.

The pests overwinter in the leaves; with the onset of spring, a whole horde of hundreds/thousands of eggs and grown individuals safely move onto trees and vegetable crops. Moth, hawthorn, silkworm, cabbage moth, and leaf roller actively destroy plants and reduce productivity. If there is a large concentration of butterflies and their larvae, the damage to the farm can be very serious.

Harmful caterpillars in the garden:

hawthorn. Hairy creature, color – yellow-black. Actively creates nests for the winter, wraps a web around the base of the leaf blade and petiole. On bare fruit trees in the cold season, the web is clearly visible. You must not hesitate to destroy the lacewing caterpillars: up to three thousand individuals can be in one nest;
goldentail A pest with a bright color, its characteristic color scheme is a combination of black and red-orange. The pest attaches nests to branches, tightly wraps itself around adjacent leaves and internodes, creating a reliable home for the cold season. You also cannot hesitate if the tree is dotted with nests inhabited by hundreds of voracious pests. Cutting off damaged areas together with the “tenants” will save the garden from the invasion of caterpillars;
leaf roller Dangerous pest green It doesn’t look as scary as the silkworm, goldentail or hawthorn, but it does no less harm. The caterpillar eats leaves, stems, flowers, and destroys the plant almost completely. Leaf rollers twist the greens into a tube, build a nest with a web inside, and feed on the juices of the leaf. Pests actively reproduce: up to three generations can change in a season;
gypsy moth. Hairy creatures with long hairs are clearly visible on trees. Leaves damaged by pests attract even more attention: often only veins remain of the greenery. Gypsy moth most often lives in forests, but when it gets into the garden it causes great damage to fruit trees.

How to get rid of it: effective methods of control

There are several ways to clear your garden, vegetable garden, and flower garden from voracious creatures. The best option is to monitor the condition of the plants all year round, prevent the invasion of caterpillars, regularly spray the garden and vegetable garden with decoctions with a natural base. If furry, unpleasant-looking creatures have filled the area, traces of activity are clearly visible on the leaves, only an integrated approach will help.

Mechanical methods

Any amateur gardener will cope with the task if he decides to collect pests from the crown or prevent the penetration of wintering caterpillars from the soil. Experienced owners offer several ways to fight.

Proven methods:

manual collection of pests. The method is effective if there are only a few caterpillars. It is important to go through all areas of the crown, collect the voracious creatures in a bucket, and then destroy them. It's not a pleasant task, but the result is good. Many gardeners use the method of collecting pests from low plants or dwarf varieties of fruit trees;
glue belt A product with a strange name prevents pests from crawling from the soil to the crown. The method is harmless to the tree. Boil 2 parts of birch tar, pour in 1 part of burdock oil, boil for 2 minutes, remove the mixture from the stove, cool. Apply a thick mixture to the trunks of fruit trees. Pests will not be able to overcome the barrier of sticky mass; the owners will only have to collect the furry creatures from the protective adhesive belt;
cutting off the nests and oviposition of some pests. The sooner the owner discovers leaves damaged by lacewing, apple moth, and hawthorn, the greater the guarantee that all pests will be collected. It is important to remove leaves before the caterpillars move to open form nutrition.

Biological methods

Fighting attraction natural enemies has been practiced for decades. The owners noticed that many birds eat garden pests in large quantities.

If there are not many caterpillars bred, the winged helpers are able to completely clear the area of pests. The owners need to attract birds to the garden, set up titmice, nest boxes, and birdhouses.

Important! Swifts, swallows, titmice, starlings, pied flycatchers, and cuckoos eat not only small, but also large caterpillars with long hairs on their bodies.

Chemicals against caterpillars

Experts consider it the most effective method of combating voracious creatures in the garden. After spraying with toxic drugs, most individuals die.

Unfortunately, the method has downsides:

the use of chemicals often provokes intoxication in people after eating processed fruits;
required permanent shift insecticides: pests get used to the components of the drug, control turns out to be ineffective.

What to do? Select formulations of the latest generations that do not cause resistance in caterpillars. Experienced owners recommend alternating toxic drugs and decoctions of herbal ingredients.

Effective insecticides against caterpillars:

Karate.
Aktara.
Decis Pro.
Inta – Vir.
Spark.
Kinmiks.
Rovikurt.
Lightning.
Ram.
Sumi is Alpha.
Fufanon.

Find out the instructions for using the aerosol in the apartment, as well as precautions when using the chemical.

How to get rid of flies in an apartment? Effective methods fight against buzzing insects are described on the page.

Folk remedies and recipes

Spraying fruit and vegetable crops with safe, non-toxic compounds brings only benefits. There are several compounds that destroy/repel smooth and hairy caterpillars.

Proven means:

decoction of black henbane. The product is used when hawthorn, cabbage white, and goldentail appear. You will need 2.5 kg of chopped plants (leaves and twigs). Pour water over the greens, boil for half an hour, bring the volume to 10 liters, boil again, remove from heat. Let the product sit for 12 hours, strain, add liquid soap or a handful of grated laundry soap. Spray the affected plants 5–6 times when the pests have just appeared;
decoction from the stems of peppermint. The plant's shoots will be needed during the flowering period. For 2 kg of fresh raw materials, take 10 liters of boiling water, close the bucket with a lid, and let it brew for a day. Remove the green mass, strain, spray garden crops when leaf-eating insects appear;
red elderberry decoction. Another proven remedy for repelling caterpillars, beetles, slugs, and fly larvae. Finely chop 200 g of stems and leaves, steam in 10 liters of boiling water, leave for 24 hours, strain. For active adhesion to the surface of the leaves, many owners add to the bucket warm water shavings from laundry soap. Spraying should be done before and after flowering.

When pest caterpillars appear, there is no time to waste: the nests are inhabited by thousands of individuals, ready to gnaw leaves and young shoots. Decoctions with herbal ingredients and proven insecticides will help repel and destroy pests. Mechanical methods of controlling leaf-eating pests have a good effect.

The following video talks about an excellent remedy for protecting cabbage from pest caterpillars:

Attention! Only TODAY!

We all know firsthand that nature creates masterpieces that at first glance seem completely unusual and even partly cosmic. There are more than enough examples of this among representatives of the world's flora and fauna. In particular, toothed pato fish, water deer with fangs, hairless cats, anteaters with huge trunks, Californian condors (birds that are impossible to look at without tears), drop fish, reminiscent of characters from science fiction film with horror elements. The list of natural phenomena is endless.

Incredible species of caterpillars that exist side by side with humans

Today I would like to talk about which subsequently turns into a beautiful creature - a butterfly, at least this is written about in all encyclopedias about wildlife and the world around us. So, we will talk about caterpillars with horns and their features, which, judging by the name, should not be so few. Looking ahead, I would like to note that such caterpillars are characteristic of many species and they even pose a certain danger to more small insects, and some for humans. But be that as it may, such representatives of the flora cause only delight in those who look at them, because they are incredibly beautiful and divinely beautiful.

An inhabitant of Russian latitudes, who is often mistaken for an alien

Of course, at the very beginning I would like to talk about those types of large green caterpillars with horns that live in our country. The most common larva of the hawk moth and all its subspecies. For example, linden hawk moth. Its larva is a fairly long caterpillar. Sometimes it reaches 10 cm in length. Its color, unlike other caterpillars with horns, is quite calm and not particularly attractive. Most often, this insect is light beige or light brown in color with a white abdomen, on which there are horny growths, which are nothing more than the rudiments of the insect’s legs. They are quite hard and tenacious to the touch; thanks to these properties, the caterpillar can easily move along tree trunks. In rare cases, linden hawk moth larvae can be bright green or black with brown speckles. Whatever color There are caterpillars; they always have a sharp, hard spike on their tail, which many take for a horn, confusing the insect's head with its tail.

Ocellated Hawkmoth

Speaking about butterflies that hatch from the hawkmoth caterpillar pupa, it should be noted that all representatives of this family unusual insects are considered quite rare, and many of them are listed in the Red Book. Their extermination can have serious consequences and is punishable by law. For example, by the way, its larva is one of the most unusual: green in white stripe, located symmetrically relative to each other. This is a large green caterpillar with a horn on its tail that is pale blue in color. Speaking about the larva of the ocellated hawkmoth, it must be said that the thorn of these insects is not at all for beauty, but for protection from annoying small brothers: ants and small bugs. It is something like a sting, which, like wasps, contains poison (acid) that affects the enemy. For humans, the “weapon” of the hawkmoth caterpillar does not pose any danger.

Death's Head

Another prominent representative of hawk moths living in Russia, which is worth mentioning separately, is the dead (Adam's) head butterfly. Her caterpillar is incredibly beautiful. It is large, bright green, monochromatic or with variegated spots scattered over the body. The spike on her tail matches her color. But a coal-black butterfly with bright brown spots hatches from such a miracle. At all, this type Its color resembles the king of the savannah - the leopard. The death's head hawk moth is, without a doubt, more beautiful than the kinglet and several times larger. Now, having encountered any of the larvae described above in your garden, the attentive reader should not have a question about what the caterpillar with a horn on its tail is called.

Poisonous caterpillars

There are not many representatives of horned caterpillars in our country, probably due to the harsh and cold climate, but on other continents, where it is warm almost all year round, there are plenty of such beauties. By the way, there is an opinion regarding the colors of insects that the brighter the color of the caterpillar, the more beautiful the butterfly will hatch from it. And also, if the larva is too beautiful, then you should definitely be wary of it. The striking color warns of the poisonous nature of the insect. At the very beginning of the conversation about foreign caterpillars with a horn on their tail, photos of which can be seen in the presented material, I would like to discuss the poisonous species.

The hoary caterpillar is a beauty that you should not touch

The most poisonous caterpillar in the world is simply extraordinarily beautiful: a brown head with pronounced light green “glasses” and body, and on its back a brown diamond shape reminiscent of a horse’s saddle. Of course, thanks to this attribute, this larva is called saddleback. On the head and tail of the poisonous caterpillar there are two impressive horns, completely covered with sharp spines. It is they who pose a huge danger to everyone who decides to touch an unearthly creature that enchants the eye. By the way, if you look at the hoary caterpillar from above, it is impossible to make out where its head is and where its tail is, as it looks poisonous insect absolutely symmetrical.

This miracle of nature lives in North America; it can be found mainly on deciduous trees. Just like the other caterpillars with a horn on their tail discussed above, this species contains poison in its appendage. However, if nothing happens when you touch the hawk moth, then when you touch the poisonous caterpillar, a person will feel discomfort, as if he had been stung by a bee. The consequences can be unpleasant: nausea, vomiting, headache and rash at the site of contact. Symptoms last up to two days.

The “scorching rose” does not grow in the garden, but eats it

Another beautiful caterpillar that lives overseas and poses a certain danger to people is the “stinging rose.” It received its name not for the single horn on a very small body (only 2.5 cm), but for the abundantly located poisonous thorns. If you touch it, you are guaranteed to experience serious skin irritation. Distinctive feature This green caterpillar with horns has longitudinal orange and black stripes, as well as bright red and yellow spots on the body. Looking at it, it becomes clear why scientists classify the most beautiful and unusual insects as especially dangerous.

The most beautiful caterpillar in the world

Since we have already examined the most poisonous caterpillar in the world, we would now like to contrast it with the most beautiful and harmless one - the monarch larva. It is worth saying that even the name of this large caterpillar with a horn speaks for itself. It immediately seems true royal creation, enchanting with its beauty and pleasing to the eye. Its main color is white and, if not for the bright yellow stripes on its back, the caterpillar would look like a zebra, because it is also completely covered with black thin stripes. She has three pairs of horns: two on her head, two on her tail and the same number in the middle of her body. They are located symmetrically to each other.

Belongs to the most famous butterflies North America. It is easily recognized by the characteristic pattern on its wings: black stripes located on a red background. The wingspan of the Danaid reaches 10.2 cm. This is one of the few insects that flies across Atlantic Ocean. In Russia, the species is found in the Far East.

The largest butterfly in the world hatches from a caterpillar with horns

In Asia (in China, Vietnam, on the islands of Java and Borneo) real giant butterflies live. Their wingspan reaches 27 centimeters. The females of this species are much larger than the male. The situation in the insect world is not unique; sexual dimorphism is observed very often. It is called the beautiful giant peacock-eye atlas. The color of its caterpillar is completely unremarkable: pale flesh-colored, and sometimes gray. A mandatory attribute is numerous horns on the body. However, the larva produces a spectacular and bright butterfly. It is noteworthy that she has no developed oral apparatus. The imago does not feed and lives off the resources accumulated during the larval stage.

Black always goes with white - a rule that even nature follows

Probably, many have heard about the next caterpillar with horns, but not everyone has seen such an incredible beauty created by nature. It's about about the swallowtail larva. The adult is bright yellow with four eye-shaped round black spots on the wings. Who would have thought that, being a caterpillar, the swallowtail is not bright. On the contrary, the larva is completely black with horns of the same color located throughout its body. However, in the later stages of caterpillar development, just before pupation, the black color of the body is diluted by numerous contrasting white spots.

Summarizing what has been said

In fact, there are a great variety of caterpillars with horns in nature. There is simply no point in listing them all in one article, because the text can turn out to be as long as the well-known masterpiece of the Russian classic “War and Peace.” We introduced you only to the brightest and most unusual larvae, which nature has awarded with one or more horns. I would like to say that without exception, all caterpillars endowed with this attribute use it as self-defense. They deftly take advantage of the moment, curling up into a ball during danger, and then sharply throw their tail and horn towards the enemy. Remember that nature created caterpillars to be admired, not to be experimented on or destroyed.

Don't let it deceive you appearance these quirky and adorable caterpillars. 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 some beautiful but dangerous caterpillars that you might want to stay away from.

1. Coquette caterpillar (Megalopyge opercularis)

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 its “fur” release poison, causing severe throbbing pain that can radiate to 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 involvement, and 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 a rash that will last for several days.

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 experience skin irritation.

4. Spiny oak slug caterpillar (Euclea delphinii)

This caterpillar is not as dangerous to humans, although touching it will still cause a 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 fatal to cattle and horses and poses some health hazard to humans.

If you are susceptible to caterpillar hairs, touching them can cause hives, atopic asthma, kidney failure and cerebral hemorrhage.

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 venom contained in their bristles is a 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 a rash or more serious problems with health, in case of hairs getting into the eyes. Plus, they still bite.

11. Lazy clown caterpillar (Lonomia obliqua)

This peacock butterfly caterpillar can safely be called a killer caterpillar. Its thorns are filled with poison, a coagulant - an anti-clotting substance, which can lead to the death of a person.

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

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

Butterflies, Lepidoptera, whose fossil remains have been known since Jurassic period, are currently one of the most species-rich insect orders - there are more than 158,000 species in the order. Representatives of the order are distributed on all continents, with the exception of Antarctica.

Butterflies go through four stages of development: egg, larva, pupa and adult. It is believed that a butterfly is always superior in beauty to the caterpillar from which it was born.

Let's see if this is true. Interactive photos.

This moth family Corydalis. Caterpillar stage: June - September. An adult caterpillar is up to 6 cm in length, green in color. When disturbed, it takes a special threatening pose: it inflates and raises the anterior end of the body, then retracts it into the enlarged first segment of the abdomen. Click:

They live in broad-leaved and mixed forests. Caterpillars feed on various broad-leaved trees, such as oak, elm, citrus. Click:

Papilio troilus is a North American swallowtail, the closest relative of our swallowtail and swallowtail. The adult is black with iridescence and an elegant pattern of white spots, and the caterpillars are unusually funny: green or yellow with bright false eyes that scare off predators. Caterpillars eat different types bay leaves. Click:

The Atlas peacock eye is considered one of the largest butterflies in the world. Wingspan up to 24 cm! In India, this species is cultivated: the caterpillars secrete silk. Click:

This species is found from Mexico to Argentina, in wet forests. The wingspan of Greta oto is from 5.5 to 6 cm. The tissue between the veins on the wings of the butterfly is transparent because it is devoid of colored scales. Click:

The wingspan of this butterfly is from 6 to 9 cm. The female has reddish-brown forewings and legs, while the male has yellow fore and hind wings, body and legs. Click:

This is the genus day butterflies from the Nymphalidae family. The color of the wings of most species is blue or light blue, with a metallic sheen. There are species with wings of mother-of-pearl and pearl-white colors; with a black-blue or red-brown pattern. The coloring, shiny with a metallic reflection of the wings, is entirely optical; it is based on the refraction of light. Click:

Another butterfly of the genus True Swallowtails of the Swallowtail family. Found throughout North America, including Canada, the United States and Mexico. This large butterfly with a wingspan of 8-11 cm. The upper side of the wings is mostly black. Caterpillars in the first phases of development (up to 1.5 cm in length) are black with a white stripe in the middle, with white bristles having a light brown ring at the base. Click:

The largest moth in North America and one of the most brightly colored. Usually, at the end of autumn, after four molts, cecropia caterpillars, which have managed to grow to 10-12 cm, wrap themselves in a cocoon. They pupate in it, spend the whole winter and are born in the first warm days summer. Click:

Cabbage butterfly Pieris brassicae

The caterpillar is up to 3.5 cm long, 16-legged, greenish-yellow, dotted with sparse and short black hairs and black dots; along the back and on the sides, above the legs, 3 stand out yellow stripes; the head and the last segment of the body are gray on top with black dots.