A huge caterpillar with eyes. Caterpillars, beautiful and dangerous

The class of insects is one of the most diverse and numerous representatives of living beings that inhabit Earth. The most beautiful representatives of the family are butterflies, which differ from each other in the most diverse and intricate patterns located on their wings. Caterpillars are integral natural purpose formation of butterflies. They also come in a variety of shapes and colors.

The birth of a butterfly is associated with a certain stage of insect development. After an adult has laid eggs in some secluded place, larvae emerge from them in the form of small worms. These worms are quite voracious creatures. They eat a lot of greens in order to move to another stage of development.

These larvae are called caterpillars. An insect can be a caterpillar for either several days or several years, depending on the species. Typically, each type of caterpillar eats a specific type of plant. They often become pests of any crops, fruit trees, berries, vegetables, fruits, etc. After a certain time, the caterpillar turns into a cocoon, which is called a pupa. Then an adult, called a butterfly, emerges from the cocoon.

Interesting to know! The larger the butterflies, the larger the caterpillars and vice versa.

All types of caterpillars may differ in size, development periods, colors, and habitats, but they all have the same body structure. The body structure of a caterpillar consists of:

• From a well-defined head of regular round shape, oral apparatus, visual organs and horn-shaped antennae.
• Breasts.
• Abdominal section.
• Several pairs of limbs.

As a rule, a caterpillar has at least 5-6 pairs of eyes located nearby. The mouth has several small teeth with which they chew plants. There are small hairs or spine-like growths on the body. As a rule, the caterpillar moves quickly along leaves, branches and other surfaces.

Types of caterpillars with photos and names

Each type of butterfly has its own caterpillar. At the same time, the color of the caterpillar does not always match the color of the butterfly. In most cases, caterpillars are herbivores, although there are also predatory species. Depending on the food consumed, caterpillars are:

• Polyphages. These are caterpillars that indiscriminately eat any plant. This species includes moths such as wine hawk moth, ocellated hawkmoth, blind hawkmoth, kaya bear, moths, peacock eye and others.
• Monophages represent caterpillars that feed on one specific type of plant. These are cabbage grass, apple moth, silkworm and others.
• Oligophages are caterpillars that prefer to feed on one type of plant belonging to one species of family or type. These are butterflies: swallowtail, pine cutworm, polyxena, etc.
• Xylophagous are a type of caterpillar that feeds on wood or bark. These include leaf rollers, woodworms and others.

Certain species of caterpillars inhabit subtropical regions, tropics, and northern regions. There are hundreds of species of such insects on the territory of each country. It is not by chance that caterpillars get their names. As a rule, they get their names depending on their main source of food. Some of the caterpillars were named so because they have a very interesting and intricate pattern on their wings.

Among all types of caterpillars, there are also valuable ones, such as the silkworm. Many caterpillars have a similar property. As the caterpillar moves, a thin thread remains behind. This thread serves as a kind of insurance in case an insect falls.

Interesting to know! From a butterfly's cocoon silkworm they obtain silk thread, after which they weave silk fabric from it, and then sew various products.

There are caterpillars up to 1 mm in size, as well as caterpillars more than 12 cm long. Among them there are quite beautiful specimens, completely inconspicuous, hairy, poisonous, and also those that can change their coloring during their development.

The following species are widespread in Russia:

• Cabbage white (cabbage).
• Peacock eye.
• Moth (land surveyor).
• Hawkmoth.
• Admiral.

This is the most common type of caterpillar inhabiting European part Russia. The caterpillar is different green and body length within 3-4 cm. There are black growths and hairs on the body of the caterpillar. It got its name because it appears mainly on cabbage. In addition to cabbage, he can enjoy such crops as:

• Radish.
• Turnip.
• Turnips.
• Horseradish, etc.

An insect can remain in the caterpillar stage from 2 to 5 weeks. Depending on the weather conditions. Despite such a short period of time, cabbage manages to cause serious damage to the crop.

This caterpillar is also called the land surveyor because of its original way movement. This is due to underdevelopment of the anterior false legs. Thanks to its brown coloration, it manages to reliably camouflage itself among vegetation. In addition, thanks to the developed muscular system, the caterpillar can remain in an elongated, motionless state for a long time, depicting a broken twig or twig. This type of caterpillar feeds on tree needles, currant leaves, hazel, etc. The moth butterfly is distinguished by a thin, elongated body and wide, delicate wings. Butterflies fly mainly at night. They can be easily recognized by their slow and bumpy flight.

This caterpillar can be found throughout forest-steppe zone our continent. It feeds on the foliage of various bushes. This furry caterpillars, whose body is covered with brown or gray hairs. The end of the body is distinguished by a bright scarlet color, which served as the basis for this name.

Interesting to know! The bright red tail of the insect indicates that the caterpillar is poisonous. Upon contact with the human body, an allergic reaction may occur.

The summer of butterflies is celebrated in the month of May-June. The redtail is quite prolific, as one female can lay up to 1000 eggs per tree. With the arrival of autumn, all the caterpillars leave the tree and the pupation process begins.

Redtail is considered a pest of fruit trees such as apple, plum, rowan, pedunculate oak, hornbeam, elm, etc.

It is quite large in size. The caterpillar is distributed throughout almost the entire territory of Europe, Asia, North America, as well as in the north African continent. The caterpillar is quite beautiful, just like the butterfly itself. At the same time, at its stage of development the caterpillar changes its color. At first the caterpillar is almost black with bright red spines. Over time, it turns green with black stripes, mixed with brown spots. This caterpillar can feed on:

• Carrots.
• Parsley.
• Celery.
• Wormwood.
• Alder.

The hawkmoth caterpillar can be found both in middle lane Russia, as well as in Siberia and the Far East. Prefers to eat leaves of birch, willow, and poplar. The caterpillar has a green body color, which allows it to camouflage perfectly among the leaves. The body is painted with diagonal thin stripes, which resemble the veins of leaves. You can see a kind of horn on the tail of this caterpillar.

This is a rather beautiful butterfly, which differs comparatively large sizes: its length reaches 10 cm, or even more. There are 2 types of these butterflies: the day peacock eye and the night peacock eye. In addition, there is also a large peacock eye butterfly, which has insignificant differences from the first two species. The butterfly caterpillar is also large and green in color. The peacock eye lives in the western part of Russia, the Caucasus and Crimea. Prefers the following fruit trees for food:

• Apple tree.
• Pear.
• Walnut.
• Plum.
• Cherry.

Interesting to know! In the process of development, the butterfly larva peacock eye changes its color. Before pupation begins, it turns yellow, and the pupa itself is distinguished by a brown tint.

Who hasn't encountered a clothes moth in their life? It is difficult to find such a person, since everyone knows the results of its life activity: clothes moth larvae spoil people's personal belongings. A white caterpillar with a brown head eats items made of natural wool, fur items and items made of cotton. This is where she lays her eggs.

Evil nettle plant. Who hasn’t been burned by it in childhood so much that now there is no desire to try to pick it up. It seems even more strange if you meet a living organism eating it. And even like an eater! Sometimes you can find on nettle bushes a whole ball of black caterpillars, with small white dots, covered with belts of hard branched thorns. What kind of caterpillars are these? Why are there so many of them? And which of them hatches - read on.

Under the moving black mass, the green of the nettle is almost invisible. The trunk and leaves are covered with a tangle of constantly moving, chewing and crawling insects. Their bodies are covered with stiff hairs that encircle each body segment. Similar colonies of caterpillars are sometimes found on trees, but there they are still entwined with cobwebs. A repulsive sight.

And who would have thought that all these black caterpillars are just the first stage of the life of such beautiful butterfly, How daytime peacock eye (Inachis io).

The female peacock's eye lays up to 100-300 eggs, usually in groups, on the underside of a nettle leaf. They hatch into intense black caterpillars with small white dots and belts of hard branched spines. They live on food plants in broods, sometimes up to 300 individuals, in a common nest of leaves braided with silk thread. Before pupation they spread out. Starting from the second instar, the caterpillars live separately.

Food plants for caterpillars: common hop; raspberries; willow, including goat willow; stinging nettle; less often hemp.

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Look, is that a hummingbird? No, this is some kind of unusual insect. Or not? Still a hummingbird?

This is a glass hummingbird or hawk moth Hemaris thysbe, with a wingspan of 38-50 mm, which is so reminiscent of a hummingbird when feeding that many people would never guess that it is a moth hovering above flowers. The diurnal behavior of these butterflies and their similarity to hummingbirds in size, foraging and feeding behavior lead to the fact that this species is very often mistakenly identified in nature.

The butterfly feeds through a long proboscis, which curls up under its head when not in use. Hawkmoth lives in North America, is especially noticeable in the spring.

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Caterpillar - alien

Predators are more likely to attack caterpillars than butterflies. Therefore, at the caterpillar stage of life, many of them have a terrifying coloration. This green alien comes from the Philippines. It seems that his head is quite large and creepy, but this is just the effect of fake eyes, spots with the corresponding coloring. As a rule, the caterpillar's head is much smaller and is not located in the abdominal part.

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Beetle – Darth Maul

The large milkweed beetle Oncopeltus fasciatus has the middle name Darth Maul, due to the similarity of coloring to the character's face. Star Wars" It feeds mainly on seeds, particularly milkweed.

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Caterpillar - snake

Wine Hawkmoth, known as elephant hawk moth, is a large butterfly of the family Sphingidae. Found throughout Great Britain and Ireland. Its larva is about 75 mm long and is colored green and brown colors. When frightened, the caterpillar raises its body, leaning on its front part.

This pose resembles a snake with big head, and four spots imitate the eyes of a snake. These caterpillars are mainly hunted by birds, but when the caterpillar is in this snake position, the birds do not dare to approach. It is unclear whether the birds see that the caterpillar actually resembles a snake, or whether they are simply frightened by the sudden transformation of the prey into an unfamiliar, brightly colored creature.

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Flower caterpillar

Can you figure out where the flowers are and where the caterpillar is? Moth caterpillar ( Synchlora aerata) is a genius at camouflage. She glues pieces of brightly colored flower petals to her back to blend in with her surroundings.

Depending on what plant they feed on, they may use all parts of colorful plants in the hope of not being discovered. When the petals begin to weaken and fade, the caterpillar discards them and replaces them with a new “coat.”

It happens that you are walking along a path, and next to it, on the bottom of a leaf, sits such a charm. Beautiful black caterpillar with tufts of coarse reddish hair on the top and sides of each segment. On the sides there is a bright white stripe, interrupted in the middle of each segment by a red spot from which a tuft of fur protrudes. On the back of the caterpillar there is a pattern of white, black and yellow spots. Her pose reveals a curved hump next to her head. This is what the caterpillar of a rather inconspicuous butterfly looks like sorrel scoop, she's the same oxalate lancet(lat. Acronicta rumicis), which, contrary to its name, feeds not only on sorrel.

The caterpillar is densely covered with long black hairs, oblique white and red spots and stripes on the body. Central on the back yellow spot surrounded by black and then white, resulting in a pattern resembling an eye, which is likely to deter birds and other predators. Within a month, the caterpillar grows up to 40 mm long and, attaching itself to the branches and trunk, weaves a cocoon, inside which it turns into a pupa. The pupa is dark brown, in a thin cobwebby gray cocoon. After 12-15 days, a butterfly emerges from the pupa.

Two generations of butterflies manage to grow in a year: butterflies fly at night from May to July, in some regions a second generation appears in August and September. Caterpillars are very voracious and extremely polyphagous. They feed on herbaceous, shrub and woody plants. As the name suggests, they feed on sorrel, as well as milkweed and other herbaceous plants. They cause significant damage to seedlings, nurseries and young orchards by eating the leaves of fruit trees, as a result of which growth stops and the rootstock does not develop.

The sorrel moth butterfly has a wingspan of 30-35 mm, the length of the front wings is 17-21 mm. The wings of the butterfly are dark gray or light gray, but 1-2 white spots are clearly visible at the rear edge. The hind wings are brownish-gray.

The species is distributed throughout almost all of Europe, with the exception of northwestern and northern Scandinavia and northern Russia, and is found in Northwestern Africa, Asia Minor, the Middle East, Cyprus, the Caucasus, north of the Urals and Western Siberia before Far East. Butterflies live in various biotopes and are numerous everywhere.

Butterflies got their name “bear” from the appearance of their caterpillars, whose bodies are covered with dark, long hairs. These caterpillars are really appearance They look like little bear cubs.

Dipper butterflies are perfectly protected from enemies: their blood is poisonous and bitter, and in addition, the bear has a frightening coloring. Caterpillars are also well protected; in addition to poisonous blood, they have poisonous hairs that provoke a severe allergic reaction in people.

Dipper butterflies come in medium and large sizes. As a rule, they are variegated and brightly colored. Their front wings triangular shape, they are wide and elongated. The wings are decorated with a pattern of stripes, lines and spots. The hind wings are not so variegated, yellow, red and Pink colour. When the bear is in a calm state, her wings fold into a house.

Their body is thick and completely covered with hairs. The legs are hairy and short. The antennae are comb-like.

Lifestyle of a bear

Bears live all over the world. There are about 11 thousand species of these butterflies. About 60 species live in the European part of our country.

These butterflies are mainly nocturnal or twilight image life, but certain types They fly during the day, for example, the plantain bear. The mouthparts of these butterflies are not developed, so they do not feed throughout their lives.

Bear caterpillars are polyphagous; they eat many shrubs and herbaceous plants, and they also damage numerous trees.

Before pupating, the caterpillar weaves a silky, loose cocoon. She braids the falling hairs into the walls of the cocoon. Inside the cocoon, the bear's pupae are motionless.

Lady Bear

One of the notable representatives of the family in the middle zone is the lady bear. The wingspan of the butterfly reaches 55 millimeters. The hind wings of the lady bear are yellow or bright red.

These butterflies live in shady, damp places. They meet from June to July. Their habitats are ravines, rivers, forest clearings. Caterpillars eat leaves of bushes and herbaceous plants eg willow, blackberry and raspberry. The caterpillars spend the winter in the soil and pupate in the spring.

Kaya bear

Another widespread group of bears is the Kaya bear. These butterflies are very beautiful, and they are one of the largest in Russia, their wingspan reaches 80 millimeters.

The female bear kaya has coffee-brown forewings with white bands. The red hind wings have large black peas with a blue tint.

Kaya bears are found in late summer. The caterpillars are black and hairy. They appear in the fall and spend the winter. These caterpillars have a very thick covering of hairs, thanks to which they resemble furry animals. In times of danger, the caterpillar takes a protective position: it curls into a ring, thus protecting all its vital organs, and the body is reliably protected from enemies by thick poisonous hairs. When the caterpillars pupate, they hide under fallen trunks and stones and weave their cocoons there.

Hebe the Bear

The she-bear Hebe lives in the steppe zone of our country. The wingspan of this butterfly reaches 55 millimeters. Their forewings are light, have black spots at the outer edge, and in the center there are 3 narrow black bands. The hind wings are reddish with black spots. These are night butterflies. They fly from May to July.