Caterpillars
Lepidoptera
Appearance
- Their size varies from 1 mm to about 8 cm.
- Usually caterpillars have tubular, segmented bodies.
- Often cryptically coloured to resemble the plants on which they feed.
- Many have developed urticating hairs - bristles connected to venom glands; the effect on humans ranges from mild irritation to dermatitis.
Lifecycle
- Caterpillars eat their way through the shell (sometimes they eat the whole shell to provide energy).
- Then they start to feed voraciously and grow through a series of moults (usually 4-6); each stage is called an instar.
- Finally, they usually construct a protective cocoon to pupate in.
- Some caterpillars spin leaves to form a cocoon or create 'chambers' from bark and wood.
Habits
- Very voracious.
- Most caterpillars are herbivorous, a few feed on detritus. Predatory ones consume eggs of other insects, aphids, scale insects, or ant larvae.
- They are mostly nocturnal.