- Wild animals
- >>
- Insects
A caterpillar is the larva (baby) of a butterfly and moth. After about 2-3 weeks, the caterpillar becomes a cocoon, and turns into a pupa after another 2 weeks. Then a caterpillar appears with grown wings. The caterpillar is a well-known pest, especially in the textile industry. One type of caterpillar destroys silk in the Far East, it is known as the silkworm.
What are they?
Unlike worms, with which they are constantly compared, caterpillars are not an independent group of animals. These are insect larvae - one of the forms of development of lepidoptera, or butterflies. This stage occurs after the “egg” stage and can last from a couple of weeks to several years. Then it becomes a pupa and only then an adult.
The body of all types of caterpillars consists of a head, 3 thoracic and 10 abdominal segments. The eyes are located on the sides of the head. They have many limbs. In the area of the thoracic segments there are three pairs of legs, on the belly there are about five.
Caterpillars are rarely completely naked. Their body is covered with single or very dense hairs arranged in bunches. Many species of caterpillars have raised cuticle outgrowths that form denticles, granules and spines.
From the moment the caterpillar hatches from the egg, it begins to change. Often individuals of larvae of the same species, but of different ages, differ in appearance. As they grow, they molt from two (miner caterpillar) to forty (clothes moth) times.
Butterfly larvae have a special saliva. When exposed to air, it hardens to form silk. People have not ignored this ability and have been breeding caterpillars for centuries to obtain valuable fibers. Predatory species are also used to control pests in gardens, but herbivores can cause damage to the farm.
Character and lifestyle
Hawkmoth butterflies, despite popular rumor, are actually very gentle and harmless creatures. Their appearance on a summer cottage is not a sign of trouble, but a great chance to observe this beautiful creature, many of whose species are listed in the Red Book.
poplar hawkmoth
His appearance in real life is much better than Hawk Moth's in the photo. Although the photo conveys its incredible beauty. These insects are considered the fastest pollinators of flowers. In flight, they develop incredible speed - up to 50 km/h.
Butterflies fly at a certain period. They can be seen in late summer and early autumn. Almost all species of these insects prefer to lead a twilight and nocturnal lifestyle. But among them there are also those that can be seen during the day.
Every year they cover a huge distance, getting from Africa to Europe. Before turning into a doll, the Hawkmoth butterfly is completely immersed in the ground. And after 5-6 hours it can only stick out its head in order to feed on the leaves that it reaches.
Far Eastern hawk moth
Most often it can be found in potato fields. Many observant agricultural workers have more than once seen Hawk Moth's pupa while harvesting potatoes.
These insects can get into the hive to get honey for themselves. When touched, they emit a heart-rending and disgusting squeak. They are not afraid of bee stings due to the thick hairs all over their body.
Types of caterpillars and butterflies
Lepidoptera insects are distributed throughout the planet, but only in places where there is flowering vegetation. They are rarely found in cold polar regions, lifeless deserts and bald highlands. There are not too many of them in temperate latitudes, but the tropics have the greatest diversity of species.
But how to determine the type of caterpillars? First of all, attention should be paid to color, size, number of legs, length of hairs and other features specific to each species. Caterpillars grow from a few millimeters to 12 centimeters in length. Their coloration is often not similar to that of the butterfly they transform into, so recognizing them requires experience and knowledge. For example, the larva of the great harpy is light green, and the adult is grayish-brown; the larvae of the yellow lemongrass are bright green.
Observing its diet will help you understand what type of caterpillar is in front of you. Many of them (cabbage, bear, swallowtail, polyxena) are phytophages and eat flowers, leaves and fruits of plants. Wood borers, castnias, and glass beetles feed exclusively on wood and grass roots. True moths and some species of bagworms consume mushrooms and lichens. Some caterpillars prefer wool, hair, horny substances, wax (carpet and clothes moths, moths), and predators, such as cutworms, bluegills, and moths, are also rare.
Origin of the species and description
Photo: Caterpillar
There are more than 20,000 species of caterpillars worldwide, and it is estimated that there are many more that have not been discovered as new butterfly species and that are regularly found in regions where there is little, if any, human presence. Generally, most species of caterpillars are agricultural pests as they can wade through fields, often leaving huge holes that damage plants.
Interesting fact: Some species of caterpillars are highly poisonous, especially those that live in tropical forests. Other species are only venomous in their caterpillar form, meaning when they change into a butterfly or moth they no longer have venom.
Video: Caterpillar
Butterflies and moths spend their youth as caterpillars called the larval stage. Caterpillars feed constantly. They outgrow their skin and shed it several times. After the last molt, the caterpillar attaches itself to a branch and enters the pupal stage.
Fun fact: Moth caterpillars use silk thread from their silk glands to spin their protective cocoon. Inside the cocoon, the pupa goes through a process called metamorphosis. The caterpillar's six front legs turn into the legs of an adult insect, the other legs disappear, wings grow, and the insect appears in the form of a beautiful butterfly.
Caterpillars vary in size, color and appearance depending on their species. Some caterpillars are brightly colored, while other species look rather dull in comparison. Some types of caterpillars are hairy, while others are smooth. The caterpillar's main goal is to scare predators and keep them from eating them.
Caterpillars in Russia
Our region is not as rich in insects as the hot tropical zones. But even in Russia there are several hundred species of caterpillars. The common species here are fatheads, bluegills, nymphalids, whitefishes, swallowtails, riodinids and other orders.
A typical representative of whites is cabbage grass. It is found throughout Eastern Europe, eastern Japan and North Africa. Butterflies of this species are white, with black wing tips and two black dots. Their caterpillars are yellow-green with black warts all over their bodies. These are well-known pests that feed on heads and leaves of cabbage, horseradish, and rutabaga.
The alkin's swallowtail lives mainly in Japan, Korea and China. In Russia, caterpillars of the species are found only in the Primorsky Territory, and then in its southern part. They live near rivers and lakes where Aristolochia grows. Butterflies lay eggs on this plant, and caterpillars then feed on its leaves. Alkinoe caterpillars are brown with white segments in the middle, the body is covered with teeth. Both the adult and larval forms of insects are poisonous, so no one is in a hurry to hunt them.
Hawkmoth is one of the most famous species. Blind hawk moths are a rare species. Their butterflies are dark brown in color, and their larvae are light green with red spiracles and white stripes on the sides. The caterpillars appear in July; on the back of their body they have a black horn at the end. They feed on the leaves of willows, poplars and birches and pupate already in August.
What does a caterpillar eat?
Photo: Red caterpillar
The caterpillar is a herbivore, but the diets of a caterpillar and a butterfly are different. Butterflies use straw-like tongues to drink nectar from flowers, an adaptation that occurs during the process when a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly. Caterpillars feed primarily on leaves, plants and flowering plants, and large holes can often be found in the leaves, indicating the presence of a caterpillar.
Interesting fact: The caterpillar is a real food machine - a cylindrical sac for digesting plants. Over the course of the few days or weeks that it is active, the caterpillar will consume its own weight many times, whatever the food it chooses.
For example, the comma caterpillar feeds on the underside of leaves when young, but begins to feed on the upper side as it grows. The feeding pattern of the blood bear caterpillar is distinctive, giving a shredded appearance to the common slaughterhouse they feed on. These caterpillars feed in groups, mainly during the day, from July to early September. When the plant's leaves disappear, they sometimes resort to cannibalism.
The silvery hole caterpillar feeds on oak leaves. After hatching from the egg cluster, the larvae feed together, leaving alone when they grow to a large size. Maple lancet caterpillars, which reach a length of 40 mm, sometimes fall from the trees on which they feed. Psi lancet caterpillars feed on broad-leaved trees and shrubs such as hawthorn, apple and birch.
Many species of caterpillars are known to be carnivorous and feed on a variety of insects. Most caterpillars are herbivores and feed primarily on leaves, although some species feed on all parts of the plant, fungi, and dead animals, including other caterpillars.
Poisonous species
Caterpillars often serve as food for other animals. To avoid becoming someone's food, they have many adaptations. Some species use protective or deterrent coloration, while others secrete a secretion with an unpleasant odor. Some of them used poison.
Scales, hairs and needles hidden under the skin of some caterpillars can cause lepidopterism or caterpillar dermatitis. It is manifested by inflammation, swelling, itching and redness of the contact points and can have serious consequences. The larvae of the oak, gypsy and marching silkworms, megalopygis operaculus, hickory dipper, Saturnia io, spiderwort, etc. are poisonous.
The lonomia caterpillar is considered one of the most dangerous. It is found only in South America. Poisoning with its secretion even has its own name - lonomyasis. Contact with lonomia obliqua and lonomia achelous species can result in severe internal bleeding and death. The caterpillars live on fruit trees, and their “victims” are often plantation workers.
Natural enemies of hawkmoth butterflies
Photo: Hawk moth
The hawk moth butterfly has quite a few enemies in its natural habitat. At every stage of their development, they are constantly surrounded by danger and serious threats. The main enemies are parasites. These include wasps, wasps, and other types of parasites. They lay eggs on the surface of the body of butterflies, caterpillars or pupae. Subsequently, parasitic larvae emerge from the eggs and feed on the internal organs of the butterflies, causing their death. Only when fully formed do the parasite larvae leave the body of the butterflies.
Birds pose a danger to butterflies. For many species of birds, the main source of food is caterpillars, or even butterflies themselves. However, not all bird species are capable of catching such a dexterous and fast insect. Humans play an important role in exterminating the number of insects. As a result of its activities, it uses chemical insecticides and destroys the natural habitat of lepidopterans.
Peacock eye atlas
These butterflies are considered one of the largest in the world. Their wingspan reaches about 25 centimeters. They are common in India, China, countries and islands of Southeast Asia. Their caterpillars are thick and grow up to twelve centimeters in length. Bluish-green in the early stages, they become snow-white over time. The body is covered with thick, hairy needles; small hairs on them give the impression that the caterpillars are covered with dust or snow. They secrete durable fagar silk, and their torn cocoons are sometimes used as wallets or cases.
Interesting things about caterpillars
In some countries, caterpillars are considered a gastronomic delicacy; gourmets eat caterpillars of about 80 species of butterflies.
They are eaten raw and fried, dried on hot coals, boiled, salted, cooked with them, an omelet is prepared with them, and the caterpillars are used as a base for various sauces.
The color of the caterpillar imitates the colors of the surrounding nature of its habitat - in this way the caterpillars camouflage themselves from their enemies.
The smallest caterpillars on the planet are moth caterpillars of various species. For example, in a clothes moth, the length of a newly hatched larva is 1 mm.
And the longest caterpillar is the Indian peacock butterfly. These are blue-green caterpillars, it seems that their bodies are covered with white dust, they reach 12 cm.
Like any other living creature, the caterpillar takes its place in the planet’s ecosystem and plays an important role in it.
Hawkmoth lilac
A large number of caterpillar species are green. They feed on plants, and this color helps them camouflage with their environment. The caterpillars of the privet or lilac hawkmoth are colored light green. On their sides there are short diagonal stripes of white and black, and next to them there is one red dot.
Hawkmoth larvae are thick and reach a length of 9-10 centimeters. A white and black outgrowth resembling a horn protrudes from the back of the caterpillars' back. They live in Western Europe, China, Japan, the European part of Russia and the south of the Far East, the Caucasus, southern Siberia and Kazakhstan. They feed on jasmine, barberry, elderberry, viburnum, and currants. They become caterpillars from July to September, and then overwinter twice as pupae.
Hawkmoth feeding
At the initial stage of their development, hawk moths try to eat protein foods. Caterpillars may prefer one type of plant, so they distinguish grape, sea buckthorn, lilac and other varieties of insects. Already formed individuals consume flower nectar, which is a collection of carbohydrates.
There are varieties of moths that can live peacefully without food at all, although their duration of existence does not exceed several days.
Apollo of Parnassus
Black species of caterpillars are not very common in nature. The peacock's eye, the grass cocoon moth, and Apollo Parnassus can boast of this color. The latter species is named after the Greek god of the arts, Apollo. These butterflies live in Europe and Asia, and are found in Southern Siberia, Chuvashia, Mordovia, and the Moscow region. They love dry and sunny valleys located at an altitude of 2000-3000 thousand meters.
Adult Apollo parnassian caterpillars are deep black with bright red dots and blue warts on the sides. Behind the head of the larva there is an osmetium - a gland in the form of small horns. It is usually hidden under the skin and protrudes at the moment of danger, releasing a substance with an unpleasant odor. The caterpillars feed on sedum and juveniles and appear only in good sunny weather.
Do caterpillars have eyes?
Sticks of different colors were used as research tools during the experiment, on which the caterpillars were planted. One of the sticks was white, the second was black, the third was brown, and the fourth was green.
Half of the ocelia caterpillars were painted over, but the other half were not. Then they were planted one by one on different sticks, and even despite the painted ocelia, the caterpillars changed color to suit the conditions of the environment in which they found themselves. It is worth noting that the result was not one hundred percent, but significantly exceeded the probability of a random coincidence. Blind caterpillars chose the color correctly 75-80 percent of the time.
This is a very good indicator, which clearly indicates that this species has the ability of extra-visual photoreception. Further research showed that in different places of their bodies there are light-sensitive receptors - opsins. This allows them to determine the color of surrounding objects not only with the help of their visual organs.
On the one hand, the results of the experiment can be called meaningless. On the other hand, this opens up a completely new mechanism of adaptation in a living environment. If before it was believed that reading information was possible only through the organs of vision, now we understand that this is not so. Scientists, in turn, will be able to further study this interesting and promising mechanism.
In our Telegram chat you can discuss not only black holes and singularity, but also blind caterpillars. Come join us!
Clothes or house moth
This type of caterpillar causes a lot of trouble in the house. They eat cereals, flour, silk and wool fabrics, and furniture upholstery. Adults - butterflies - are harmful only in that they can lay eggs. All the main damage to things is caused by the caterpillars, which devour everything they find.
Their bodies are almost transparent and covered with thin beige-brown skin. Among caterpillars, they are considered the smallest, the size of the larvae varies from a millimeter to one centimeter. They remain in the larval stage from a month to two and a half years, during which time they manage to molt up to 40 times. Moths live in the USA, Australia, Europe, Southeast Asia, New Zealand, Zimbabwe and many other regions.
Social structure and reproduction
Photo: Hawkmoth butterfly from the Red Book
In their natural habitat, butterflies breed throughout the year. Offspring are hatched twice, sometimes three times under favorable climatic conditions. Mating most often occurs in the dark. It lasts from 20-30 minutes to several hours. Throughout this entire period, the insects remain motionless.
At one time, one female individual is capable of laying up to 150-170 eggs. The egg is round in shape and has a white color with a blue or green tint. Eggs are most often laid on forage vegetation. Subsequently, after 2-4 days, a light, milky-white larva with colorless legs appears from the eggs.
The caterpillar has several stages of development:
- the caterpillar is light green in color, the diameter of the caterpillar does not exceed 12-13 millimeters;
- a large brown horn is formed on the body, the size of which visually exceeds the size of the body;
- the caterpillar increases significantly in size, new signs appear;
- the formed horn becomes lighter and rougher. Stripes and dark spots appear on segments of the body;
- the size of the body increases to 5-6 centimeters, weight reaches 4-5 grams;
- the larva increases significantly in size. Weight reaches 20 grams, length – up to 15 centimeters.
Caterpillars are perfectly adapted to survive in various conditions. Depending on the species, they have a camouflage coloring that allows them to blend in with the vegetation. The caterpillars of some species have a streamlined shape, stiff bristles, or may emit an unpleasant odor that repels birds and other representatives of the animal world that eat the caterpillars.
After the caterpillar has accumulated sufficient nutrients and gained sufficient body weight, it sinks into the soil. There she pupates. At the pupal stage, the butterfly exists for 2.5-3 weeks. During this period, great changes occur in the body of insects. The caterpillar transforms into a butterfly. The beautiful butterfly frees itself from the cocoon, dries its wings, and goes in search of a mating partner in order to continue its life cycle.
Acraga koa, or "gummy" caterpillar
The amazing caterpillars of this species look like something extraterrestrial. Their transparent silver body appears to be made of jelly. Due to this they are called “marmalade” or “crystal”. Their body is covered with cone-shaped processes, at the tips of which there are orange dots. The caterpillars reach only three centimeters in length. They are sticky to the touch, and the substances that their glands secrete are saturated with poison.
The insect lives in the Neotropics, a region covering South and part of Central America. You can meet it in Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, etc. The caterpillar feeds on the leaves of mango trees, coffee and other plants.
Natural enemies of caterpillars
Photo: What a caterpillar looks like
Due to their small size and worm-like shape, the caterpillars are preyed upon by many species of animals, but the caterpillar's main enemies are birds and insects. Caterpillars are also often preyed on by small mammals and reptiles.
Caterpillars cannot easily escape from predators because they move slowly and do not yet have wings. This means they either have to rely on camouflage to keep predators from noticing them (which gives us caterpillars that look like leaves, plant stems, etc.) or they have evolved to be bright and sharp, so that's it. anyone who might want to eat them knows it would be a bad idea.
Caterpillars are found in almost all climates around the world, making their predators abundant.
In addition to birds, they feed on caterpillars:
- People - Caterpillars are a delicacy for people in parts of the world such as Botswana in southern Africa, as well as East Asian countries such as China. In fact, caterpillars flock to these areas daily due to their high nutritional value. Compared to beef, lentils and fish, caterpillars contain more protein and fat;
- wasps are known for carrying caterpillars to their nests as food for their young. Wasps are beneficial to the garden because they often catch caterpillars of almost any size, thereby keeping them under control. However, wasps feed on caterpillars primarily in the spring and early summer. As the season progresses, their population becomes acidic and their diets change to other, more sugar-laden ones;
- Ladybugs are small, fairly round, brightly colored and spotted beetles that feed primarily on aphids. Ladybugs can eat other insects, especially caterpillars. Because aphids and caterpillars are harmful to plants, gardeners use ladybugs to biologically control them. Caterpillars have rather soft bodies and ladybugs find them very tasty, especially the small ones.
Swallowtail
Swallowtail is another insect named after a mythological hero. This time it is an ancient Greek doctor. About 40 subspecies of swallowtails are known. All of them are very colorful both at the imago stage and during the development of larvae. They are distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Found in North Africa, North America, throughout Europe, except Ireland. In mountainous areas they can rise to heights from 2 to 4.5 kilometers.
Swallowtail caterpillars are born twice a season: in May and August, but they remain in the larval state for only a month. As they grow older, their appearance changes greatly. At first they are black with red dots and a white spot on the back. Over time, the color becomes light green, and black stripes and red dots are placed on each segment; white color is present only on the limbs. They also have a hidden osmeterium that is bright orange in color.
Features and habitat
In nature there is simply an incredible amount of a wide variety of insects, beautiful and ugly, ordinary and supernatural. But, perhaps, the most popular of all this variety is the Hawk Moth butterfly.
Brazhnik wine medium
There are many legends about her. There is simply an incredible number of signs and superstitions associated with it. The butterfly Hawkmoth was given a not entirely secondary role in the popular film “The Silence of the Lambs,” in which the main character, suffering from manic tendencies, raised these moths and placed their pupae in the mouth of each of his victims.
In general, everything connected with the Hawk Moth butterfly has long been dark, mystical and frightening. For some reason, since ancient times, people have considered this moth a harbinger of disasters and always tried to destroy it when they met it.
Why do people dislike this beautiful insect so much? There are several answers to this question. One of the very first and most compelling reasons for a person’s hatred of the Hawkmoth butterfly is its appearance.
Euphorbia Hawkmoth
The fact is that on her back it’s as if someone specially drew a human skull with crossbones. Looking at such a picture, it’s unlikely that positive thoughts will come to anyone’s mind.
The second reason for people’s dislike of this insect was its unpleasant squeak. It is so loud and unpleasant, like screaming, that it makes people shudder.
A picture on the back is added to this cry and the harbinger of trouble is ready. Such external data prompted many people to create creative works in which this sweet and wonderful creature mainly acted as a monster.
At its core, this butterfly is considered one of the largest insects. The span of her beautiful wings sometimes reaches up to 14 cm. This beauty belongs to the order Lepidoptera. The body of the butterfly has the shape of a cone, its wings are narrow and elongated.
Hawkmoth cingulata
The butterfly has long antennae, round eyes and a long proboscis, which is its main assistant in obtaining food. Short and strong spines are observed on the insect's legs. Scales are visible on the abdomen. The front wings are wide and somewhat pointed towards the apex.
The rear ones are slightly smaller, sloping towards the rear. Butterfly caterpillars are large in size and have five pairs of legs. Their color is difficult to confuse with anyone else. It is bright, with diagonal stripes and spots reminiscent of eyes.
At the end of the body of the Hawkmoth butterfly caterpillar, an outgrowth of a dense structure in the form of a horn is clearly visible. In many places, these caterpillars cause harm to forestry, gardening and agriculture, damaging crops.
Death's Head Hawkmoth (Acherontia atropos)
All species of this family are comfortable in a warm environment. But among them there are also those who, for some reason, can migrate much further north from their usual habitats.
They can easily fly across seas and mountain ranges. If we look at some types of Hawk Moths , we can discern significant differences between them. The oleander hawk moth, for example, is a deep green color, like grass.
Its front wings have a distinctive pattern with varying shades of white, brown, green and purple. On the hind wings, gray and purple tones predominate, bordered by a green rim.
The color of the ocellated hawkmoth is dominated by brown color and a pattern reminiscent of marble. A longitudinal brown stripe is clearly visible along the front back of the insect. The base of the hind wings is soft pink with red tones. In the middle, large spots of black and blue, reminiscent of eyes, stand out clearly on them.
Tobacco hawkmoth is gray with a slightly yellow color. On the back of his body there are beautiful yellow rectangles separated by black stripes. This moth is very beautiful in real life. The linden hawk moth's color is dominated by olive-green tones. Irregular dark spots are visible on its wings.
