A large and thick yellow-brown caterpillar. Cute caterpillars that are better not to pick up

Butterfly larvae - caterpillars - come in a variety of shapes and colors. And anyone who does not have an aversion to caterpillars can enjoy watching these amazing creatures and perhaps learn something new for yourself. This is especially true for pupation, because it is one thing to simply know about the life cycle of insects, and another to see with your own eyes the process of transformation of one creature into another.

Hawk Moths

Hawk Moths (Sphingidae) - a family of large or average size. The body is powerful, often cone-shaped; wings are narrow, elongated, with a span from 30 to 175 mm.

For some unknown reason, with my aunt’s suggestion, I called hawk moths for most of my life bob A mi. What the bobs such - it’s incomprehensible, I’ve never heard this word from anyone’s lips except my aunt, and Yandex finds only Dostoevsky’s story of the same name for such a request.

The caterpillars are large, beautiful, usually brightly colored with contrasting stripes and false eyes. The tail has a characteristic horn.

The pupae of most hawk moths also have a horn.

Next we will talk about the history of pupation of two caterpillars found simultaneously on our site and identified as larvae hawk moths: wine And fake. Actually, identifying them was not particularly difficult, since it is known that hawkmoth caterpillars are very picky and selective of their food plants, therefore, if a caterpillar is found on grapes, then it can be said with a high probability that it should turn out to be a wine hawkmoth.

So, the first story is happy...

Wine Hawkmoth (Deilephila elpenor)

The caterpillar was found eating grape leaves. She was fat, elastic and green, with a horn and four false eyes in the front.

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She behaved actively and did not refuse food in captivity. I also didn’t mind being photographed in different poses. Click on the pictures - they have a lot of details!

But a couple of days later, she disappeared from sight. Carefully turning over the leaves piled on the bottom of the aquarium, I discovered a certain conglomerate: the leaves were clearly glued together. In the depths of the shelter, the strangely modified body of a caterpillar, covered with mucus, lay motionless.

After a day or two, I decided to see what happened in the house of leaves. As soon as I started raking them, I felt something twitch energetically inside. The leaves were glued together perfectly, but what can one poor caterpillar oppose to the destructive power of the human mind?

I don’t think it will be a revelation to anyone that the leaves were hiding doll.

The front part of the pupa is completely rigid, the rear part consists of three movably connected segments and ends with a horn. When a doll is nervous, it can beat intensely, frightening the offender and jumping from place to place:

Here's what struck me most. Next to the pupa in the leaves lay the blackened and dried head and front part of the body of a former caterpillar with six horny legs. I never thought about the fact that when turning into a chrysalis, the caterpillar discards head!(“And what does she think with???” - this begs an idiotic question, from which, however, another follows: “Do caterpillars think in principle?”)

The idea for the demotivator is born by itself: “Don’t be a larva! Don't lose your head!

Now all that remains is to put the pupa in a secluded, cool place, and perhaps in the spring I will be able to watch the most exciting stage of the transformation: the birth of a butterfly.

Added six months later: It was possible to observe the birth of a butterfly, although a little earlier than expected. For details and photos, click on the picture:

The medium wine hawk moth is the one that hatched in me six months later.

And now the second story, tragic...

Linden hawk moth (Mimas tiliae)

This caterpillar was caught on a linden tree, and when caught it was approximately the same green color as our previous hero. However, by the time of the photo shoot, she had noticeably changed her color to green-yellow. If I had read about this caterpillar earlier, I would have realized that it was already about to pupate - in the linden hawkmoth this is preceded by a change in color.

If I had immediately planted the caterpillar in the leaves and not touched it again, then perhaps I would now still have a pupa of the linden hawk moth. But I did not allow the poor creature to calmly carry out its biological program. While I was replanting, while I was taking photographs...

Like butterflies, moth caterpillars have a camouflage color, the color of which depends on the type of vegetation that is the main food source of the insect.

The thin bodies are practically naked and have no villi. ABOUT distinguished by their amazing ability to pretend to be branches, stems, cuttings and other parts of the plant, which makes them quite difficult to recognize even if you are close.

Photos of different types of land surveyors:

Freezing in a protruding position by holding a plant branch with one pair of abdominal legs, they become invisible to their immediate enemies - sparrows, tits, nightingales And other small birds. They achieve such camouflage due to highly developed muscles.

If it falls due to a strong gust of wind or danger, the insect rises along a thread, with the help of which it is attached to leaves and branches.

It is important! Main feature This family of caterpillars has a peculiar arrangement of abdominal legs. They are located on the 6th and 10th (sometimes 5 and 6 or 4 and 5) segment of the body, which explains them unusual way movement, during which the back of the body is pulled towards the front, as if measuring the distance with spans. In fact, this is how they got their name.

The unusual loop-like bending of the body gave birth to another name for this family - they are also often called land surveyor caterpillars.

Differences between different types of land surveyors

The most common types of caterpillars in our country are winter, pine, deciduous (pickled) and gooseberry moths.

Z In the process of growth, the moth goes through 5 stages of development, during which it molts 4 times. It has a characteristic transparent greenish color with a dark line along the entire back and three white stripes on the sides.

In mid-June, winter moth caterpillars descend into the ground and, burrowing 15 cm into the soil, pupate. At the end of August and beginning of September, butterflies appear that are not able to fly, so they climb up tree trunks to mate.

The location for laying is usually small cracks near the buds, into which lay up to 400 eggs.

The pine moth is also green, but it has more lateral white stripes - 5. Pupates late autumn burrowing into the forest floor.

Gooseberry moth in full white with black and yellow inserts. On deciduous trees you can find adult caterpillars of the deciduous moth, predominantly brown and yellowish in color with dark brown spots and a bright yellow stripe on the side.

What plants are affected by moths?

Caterpillars of this order pose a threat to almost all shrubs and plants growing in Russia and the CIS countries.

Activity period pine moth falls on July - September. During this time, the caterpillar manages to cause serious damage pine forests, completely eating the needles of the trees.

Gooseberry eats foliage not only of gooseberries, as its name implies, but also loves to eat currants and hazel bushes in spring and autumn.

Moth-ripped off less picky and feeds on leaves of most deciduous trees , including fruits.

Winter the moth is the boss enemy of all garden shrubs and trees, including apple trees, pears, currants and raspberries.

Ways to combat moth caterpillars

Greatest danger for gardens and orchards is a winter moth. About once every 6–8 years, females of this species demonstrate very high fertility, a reproduction outbreak occurs, the duration of which can reach up to 3 years.

One of the most effective ways to combat it is a thorough autumn digging of the soil under fruit trees and shrubs, during which each lump is checked for the presence of pupated larvae.

Attention! The fight against the winter moth does not end there and continues throughout the entire growing season of shrubs and trees.

In addition to regularly digging the soil once every 2-3 weeks, the most effective methods are:

Treatment of crowns with solution oleocuprite And DNOCa in early spring until the snow cover completely disappears. Drug No. 30 is also effective.
Spraying plants before flowering with a solution karbofos.
Treatment with insecticides when 1st generation caterpillars appear.
Also, the number of winter moth individuals can be easily controlled using an adhesive hunting belt, which is attached directly to the trunks at a distance of 20–30 cm from the ground. A butterfly that climbs tree trunks to lay eggs simply cannot avoid this obstacle. In October, such a belt must be removed and burned.

It is important! One more in a good way, which also does not require almost any complex actions, is to attract birds - sparrows and starlings. Long-term observations show that the presence of birdhouses and feeders in the garden helps to avoid outbreaks mass reproduction caterpillars

As for the pine moth, raking forest litter in autumn period will lead to the death of most of the pupae. Herding domestic pigs too effective method struggle, since insect larvae are their favorite delicacy.

To get rid of gooseberry moth enough to produce regular collection of caterpillars from fruit bushes and trees and their subsequent destruction by burning. The larvae, due to their color, are clearly visible, so such actions will not cause much difficulty. Spraying with arsenic solution will also help. in early spring.

Against ripped off the most effective method fight stands use of adhesive belts.

In Russia, the share of this order of insects is about 12-15% of all Lepidoptera. Due to the fact that some individual species are susceptible to outbreaks of mass reproduction, which are facilitated, in particular, by an increase in average winter temperatures In most parts of our country, these insects can pose a serious threat to horticultural crops and forestry.

We bring to your attention a video about the moth caterpillar:

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 is a night butterfly of the Corydalis family. 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 away 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 ranges 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 is a 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 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.

Don't let it deceive you appearance these quirky and adorable caterpillars. Many of them are willing 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 ones, but dangerous caterpillars, from which it is better to stay away.

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, when 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 lethal 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.