The most beautiful caterpillars in the world (TOP 15) + Lots of Photos

Butterflies, one of the most beautiful creatures on earth, go through four stages in their development. At the larval stage, more often called a caterpillar, lepidoptera feed abundantly, storing nutrients for subsequent stages of development. Like butterflies, some caterpillars have a very unusual appearance, and today in our review are the most beautiful caterpillars, with a short description and photo.

Swallowtail. Papilio Machaon

The swallowtail butterfly, from the swallowtail family, is one of the largest and most beautiful on the planet. The caterpillar is not inferior to it in appearance.

The rather large caterpillar at the 2nd stage of development acquires a green color and transverse black stripes with orange-red spots. When in danger, it puts out two red antennae located behind its head.

The swallowtail caterpillar eats wild plants of the umbrella family, but can also harm crops growing in the garden. But, like all insects, in general they are very useful for our planet. topcafe wrote about this in more detail in a previous article.

Materials needed for crafts

In this case, the materials for crafts are apples and carrots. You can buy them or take them from your own garden. Decorations can consist of beads, ribbons, berries. It is also necessary to hold together the individual segments of the caterpillar with something, to give it eyes, a nose and a mouth.

Full list of what you will need:

Brightly colored apples, preferably red-sided ones – 6 pcs.
Fresh carrots – 1 pc.
Toothpicks – 13 pcs.
Wooden stick (for sushi) – 1 pc.
Colored hair ties – 5 pcs.
Plastic skewers – 2 pcs.
Beads – 8 pcs. for horns and a few for decoration.
Plastic heart.
Plasticine – just a little bit.
Glue "Second".
Marker.

As you can see, you don’t need any expensive parts for creativity. But how much fun you can get in the process of work, and the children in the kindergarten will certainly enjoy this craft.

Caterpillar of the damselfish bear. Tyria Jacobaeae

This small butterfly, distributed throughout Europe, has a very unusual caterpillar, the body of which is colored with yellow and black stripes.

Caterpillars live in large colonies, and on farms they are used to destroy ragweed, as the larva happily eats this wild plant.

The pupa overwinters, and in May butterflies with weak, almost transparent wings appear.

Caterpillar "stinging rose". Parasa Indetermina

The names of most caterpillars come from the name of the lepidopteran species, but this beauty received its name from its bright coloring and spines located throughout its body.

It grows no more than 3 cm, but the tubercles contain liquid that can severely burn when touched. Bright color and poison help these unusual caterpillars escape from natural enemies.

They live on plants and flowers, but are also found on the branches of fruit trees. By the way, on topcafe.su you can see a large list of the most dangerous and poisonous insects on our planet.

Saturnia io caterpillar. Automeris Io

The Saturnia io caterpillar is practically omnivorous, and its diet includes leaves of various plants, fruit trees and wild trees.

It is found in the USA and Canada, and its appearance is attractive with surprisingly fluffy pom-poms located throughout the body. But we warn you, despite the attractiveness, these thorns contain toxic poison, so it is better not to pick it up.

The poison leads to edema, can cause an epileptic seizure, and a blood clotting disorder occurs.

Slimer. Limacodidae Euclidae

The slug butterfly, which lives in the north of the Australian continent, got its name because of its caterpillar, which looks more like a slug.

It has no legs, and the caterpillar moves like a snail. In addition, they have a very unusual appearance. The bright coloring of the body and unusual horns located on the head and behind the body serve as protection from enemies.

The multi-colored slug caterpillar also protects itself from enemies with the help of poison, which is many times more toxic than wasp poison.

Appearance and features

Photo: What a caterpillar looks like

The most common caterpillars are:

large white caterpillar (Pieris brassicae), the adults of which are called cabbage white butterflies. The caterpillars accumulate high concentrations of mustard oil in their diet, and their bright, spotted bodies alert potential predators to their unpleasant taste;
small turtle caterpillar (Aglais urticae). Living together benefits caterpillars because they can combine their bodies in unison, acting as one large organism in an attempt to ward off predators. Eventually, individual caterpillars crawl away separately to pupate. Tortoiseshell caterpillars can be seen from May to June, with adults potentially active throughout the year;
comma caterpillar (Polygonia c-album). The caterpillars change color quite a bit throughout their larval stage, but the older caterpillars are the most distinctive. Scorched orange and black hatchlings develop a white "saddle" mark, reminiscent of a bird's shedding, which deters predators;
bloody bear caterpillar (Tyria jacobaeae). Growing up to 28mm, these black and yellow caterpillars are very distinctive and easy to identify as they look like they are wearing a rugby shirt;
silver hole caterpillar (Phalera bucephala). This black and yellow caterpillar reaches 70 mm in length and has hairs that are irritating to humans and good at protecting themselves from predators;
caterpillar of the pale tuberculate moth (Calliteara pudibunda). The caterpillars can grow up to 45mm and reach full size in about two months. The stubble on the caterpillar's body is known to cause skin irritation in humans. The adults are a beautiful gray moth with comb-like antennae;
caterpillar of the maple moth (Acronicta aceris). It is an urban species, distinguished by bright orange hair and black and white diamond patterns along the back;
caterpillar of the Acronicta psi. After hatching from the eggs, which only take a week to hatch, the caterpillars grow to 40mm within about thirty days. Gray caterpillars can be found from July to early October. The whitish adults are active from mid-May to August. Their yellow stripe serves as camouflage on plant stems.

Now you know what a caterpillar looks like. Let's find out where this insect is found.

Tailed imperial butterfly. Polyura Sempronius

The caterpillar of this Australian butterfly looks like it came out of a cartoon. She has a completely ordinary body, but there are four unusual horns on her head.

These horned caterpillars appear at the end of March and develop until mid-June. The body is greenish in color, and there is a yellow stripe on the back and along the entire edge of the body.

Such natural dinosaurs turn into beautiful butterflies after pupation.

Where does the caterpillar live?

Photo: Caterpillar in nature

The great white caterpillar is just 45mm long and feeds on cabbage, lettuce and nasturtium for four weeks - which is why farmers and gardeners consider them a pest. The green eggs of the small tortoiseshell caterpillar are laid in groups on stinging nettles, and the spiny black and yellow caterpillars then live together, forming a shared silken web and feeding on nearby leaves to grow up to 30mm in length. As they grow, they move on to new plants and build new webs, leaving behind old sheds full of skins;

The comma caterpillar grows up to 35 mm and lives on hops and nettles. These caterpillars can be found from late April to mid-September, but the butterflies are active all year round. They suffered a noticeable decline in the 1800s, likely due to a decline in the planting of their favorite food, hops, but have since experienced a resurgence. Blood bear caterpillars pupate underground, rather than in a chrysalis on a tree like other caterpillars. Adults fly from May to early August. There are boom and bust population fluctuations at the local level.

Silver hole caterpillars are fully grown in 30 days and pupate underground during the winter. Pinecone moth caterpillars are found between July and early October. The adult is active from late May to July, and its markings are designed to look like it has a broken wing. Pallid moth caterpillars have been found on a variety of broad-leaved trees and shrubs, including birch and hops. They can be seen from late June to early October, but are more often seen crawling around in search of a place to pupate in the fall. Adults fly between July and August.

The maple lancet caterpillar lives on sycamore, horse chestnut, as well as cultivated and field maples. Caterpillars are found from July to September. In winter, they pupate on the ground, in debris like bark and fallen leaves. Adults are active from mid-June to early August.

Dalcerida moth. Acraga Coa

Pictured: Acraga Coa. .

When you encounter such a creature in the wild, you may not immediately understand that it is a caterpillar. In appearance, it is more reminiscent of a magical small crystal crystal.

They live in the humid jungles of South and Central America, and because of the jelly-like growths located throughout the body, they are often called “pearl”, “marmalade”, or “crystal”.

Caterpillars are small and completely harmless. A beautiful fluffy orange butterfly is born from an unusual caterpillar.

From a cocktail tube

You can make a paper caterpillar with your own hands using a cocktail straw.

To create a product you need to prepare materials:

Napkins or corrugated paper
Cocktail straw
Glue, scissors, markers
A piece of colored paper
Wooden skewer

Operating procedure:

Wrap the cocktail tube in paper. Squeeze the paper with an accordion to create a compressed body of the caterpillar.
Form a caterpillar bend from the tube. You can also pull out the tube. Cut off a piece - this will be the cutting of a leaf. Secure the stalk with glue on a skewer, and glue one end of the caterpillar to it.
Also fasten the other end to a skewer. Glue the skewer to the leaf. Paint the caterpillar with dots and paint its face black.

Moth. Ematurga Atomaria

In nature, there are several species of moth butterflies, and each one has different caterpillars. Some are smooth, and due to their color, they can be mistaken for tree knots.

And there are also unusual caterpillars that, in order to escape from natural enemies, secrete a liquid with which they cover themselves with flower petals. So, it’s quite difficult to see them in the grass.

Such an unusual outfit must always be fresh, so the moth caterpillar often changes its petals to new ones.

Methods of dealing with caterpillars

If there are caterpillars in your area, there are mechanical ways to destroy them and methods of fighting them using decoctions and infusions.

The simplest mechanical method is to collect butterfly eggs and already hatched caterpillars. They need to be collected in the evening. When the heat subsides, the caterpillars emerge from their shelters into open areas of plants. Collection should only be done with gloves and it is highly advisable to wear a respirator.

Many caterpillars, in addition to irritating the skin with bristles, can secrete a burning secretion in a stressful situation. It is extremely undesirable to inhale this substance; it can cause swelling of the larynx and other allergic reactions.

There are other ways to kill caterpillars. You can wrap tree trunks with non-woven material, such as baking parchment or cling film, and apply a special sticky layer on top of it.

You can also place saucers with bait for caterpillars on the site.

If caterpillars have attacked a fruit tree, it can be fumigated. To do this, smoldering chips or coals are placed in a metal vessel and 2 parts of sulfur and 1 part of resin are placed on them. Trees are fumigated in calm weather so that the smoke tightly envelops the crown of the affected tree.

If these methods do not help, you can prepare decoctions and infusions from the following plants:

Elderberries;
Black henbane;
Red pepper;
Luke;
Garlic;
Tobacco;
Chamomiles;
Coriander;
Yarrow;
Tomato stems and leaves.

A weak solution of vinegar is also good at ridding plants of caterpillar infestations.

It is worth moving on to spraying plants with chemicals that are potentially dangerous to people only when other means have been tried and have not had the desired effect.

There are many caterpillars in the world, and even in temperate climates you can find caterpillars of a wide variety of colors and sizes. Even if these insects are of interest to you, try not to bring them close to your face or touch them with your bare hands, so that the caterpillar does not accidentally harm you.

Caterpillar snake. Hemeroplanes Caterpillar

Many animals on Earth have masterfully mastered the art of transformation. For example, in times of danger, the caterpillar of the Hemeroplanes Triptolemus butterfly turns into a snake.

You can meet them on the trees of Latin America, and you won’t immediately understand whether they are an insect or a dangerous reptile. When danger approaches, the upper part of the body opens and, swelling, turns into the head of a snake with huge eyes.

This transformation forces the enemy to retreat, but over time the snake caterpillar itself turns into a butterfly.

If you are not afraid of anything, our material is for you: The most terrible finds of archaeologists.

How do caterpillars grow?

Pest butterflies lay eggs on trees, shrubs and other plants. As the caterpillar grows, it constantly eats. She needs young leaves and their juice for nutrition and growth.

If you are wondering what a caterpillar eats, the answer is simple - any plant. Before pupation, the caterpillar molts several times because the old shell becomes too small for her.

Peacock-eye Hercules. Coscinocera Hercules

The caterpillars of these butterflies can reach a record length of 12 cm, which is why they are also called giant caterpillars. According to thebiggest.ru resource, this is one of the largest caterpillars in the world, second in size only to the king nut moth caterpillar.

In addition, they have a very unusual color and body structure. The blue-green caterpillars have reddish spiracles and the entire body is covered with yellow spines.

Of the closest relatives of the Hercules peacock eye, the Chinese and Japanese peacock eye are used to produce silk.

Silkworm. Bombyx Mori

The silkworm caterpillar made our list more because of its economic importance than its unusual appearance.

But this species also has interesting features that once again confirm the diversity of nature. The fact is that the silkworm caterpillar molts 4 times during its existence, and it lives only from 26 to 32 days.

It feeds exclusively on mulberry leaves, so their habitat is limited to areas where mulberries grow.

From leaves

Autumn leaves will make an unusual, fluffy caterpillar. When deciding how to make a paper caterpillar with your own hands, you can also use this principle. Corrugated paper is best suited for this, from which you can cut many leaves with fringes or jagged ends. But such a craft made from paper or leaves will require perseverance and accuracy from the child.

To create a caterpillar from leaves you will need:

A large number of leaves from one type of tree. You can use any options: birch, oak, maple, cherry.
Thread
Needle
Scissors
Paper, pencils

Creating a masterpiece step by step:

Attach a bead or knot to the end of the thread. Alternatively, you can create a tassel from threads. This will be the ponytail.
Thread the thread through a needle and collect the leaves on it, piercing them in the middle.
Collect a stack of leaves 40-70 cm long, depending on the width of the foliage.
Cut out a face from paper and paint it. There should be a spout in the middle. In the place of the spout, thread the thread and secure it with a bead or knot.
Distribute the leaves so that their cuttings face in different directions, creating fluffiness.

You can create such a caterpillar simply by walking with your child through the forest. You can bring the craft home, your child will be able to play with it and be proud of his trophy. You can also arrange a competition among children to see who will collect the most leaves and who will have the longest caterpillar.

Saddle caterpillar. Acharia Stimulea

Another beautiful caterpillar, native to North America, attracts attention with its unusual bright color and unique body structure.

The head and back of the body are crowned with massive horns, which, like the legs, are covered with hairs. It is these hairs that contain poison, so zoologists advise staying away from these creatures.

Touching the hoary caterpillar causes a burn, and the area of contact becomes covered in a rash. The pain of the touch is comparable to a bee sting.

Master class “Caterpillar made of paper on a piece of paper”

Using a simple method of creating a caterpillar from paper rings, you can make a whole three-dimensional composition. Such a craft can decorate a holiday table or simply become a good exhibit at an exhibition in a kindergarten or other preschool institution.

To work you will need:

Cardboard for the base;
Natural material for decoration: dried leaves, hay, grass, dried flowers or sisal;
Colored paper of different textures: velvet, corrugated or designer;
Glue, ruler, pencil, colored pencils and paints;
Leaf template.

Step by step procedure:

Using the template, cut out a leaf from green paper. Use pencils or paints to draw the veins. Use the blunt end of the scissors to bend the edge of the leaf. Glue the sheet to the base.
Cut 7-11 strips from colored paper. You can also create it from corrugated paper by rolling sausages and flattening them. Such a craft will be more voluminous and lively.
Using the template, cut out the caterpillar's face and decorate it.
Create rings from the strips and glue them to the leaf. The rings must be glued along the edges first, leaving an empty space in the middle.
Use the rings to form a caterpillar bend above the leaf.
Decorate the outline of the craft with natural material.

The sculptural composition is ready.

The harpy is big. Cerura Vinula

Due to its unusual appearance, the great harpy caterpillar is called the forktail, due to the unusual appendage at the back of the body.

The completely green caterpillar has a diamond-shaped purple spot on its back, making it one of the most beautiful caterpillars on the planet.

In times of danger, it raises and inflates the front part of the body, and then retracts into the first segment of the body. Fork-shaped processes also serve for protection, from which this amazing creation of nature releases a caustic liquid.

Coquette caterpillar. Megalopyge opercularis

One of the most beautiful, but at the same time poisonous caterpillars on the planet, lives in North America. The poisonous spines are covered with hair, which makes the caterpillar look more like a kitten.

The hairy caterpillar has a reddish color and grows from 2 to 3 cm in length. When it comes into contact with human skin, the spines with poison break, and the poison causes burning pain and redness.

Because of her bizarre appearance, she was nicknamed “coquette,” but because of her poison, she is called “fiery creature.” But many people know this “beauty” as Donald Trump’s hairstyle, due to their similarity.

Lonomy. Lonomia Obliqua

Let’s complete our list with an unusual and most poisonous caterpillar that can be found in the forests of Central and South America.

The Lonomiya caterpillar reaches a length of up to 7 cm and lives on tree trunks and branches. Because of its color and fluffy hairs on its body, it is very difficult to notice, but meeting it carries a considerable danger to human health and life.

When touched, the caterpillar releases toxic poison, causing severe burns and swelling. History has recorded cases where contact with Lonomiya led to death.

From toilet paper rolls

A caterpillar for children can be made from toilet paper rolls. Such a craft will be strong, which means you can play with it.

For the product you will need:

2-3 toilet paper rolls;
Thin cardboard or thick paper;
Corrugated paper;
Pencils, paints, glue and scissors, a stationery knife.

Operating procedure:

Cut the bushings into rings with a knife. The width of the rings is 2-2.5 cm.
Cut strips of the same width from thick paper. The length is equal to the circumference of the sleeve.
Cut wide squares from corrugated paper. The side of one square should be slightly larger than the circumference of the sleeve.
Wrap the rings in corrugated paper and secure it with a stapler.
Also create rings from thick paper to connect the bushings. Glue the rings together and wrap them in corrugated paper.
Cut out a face using the template and glue it to the chain. The insect is ready.

Using crepe paper will make the caterpillar fluffy and pleasant to your hands.