The most unusual caterpillars from around the world. Types of caterpillars - description, features and interesting facts

Caterpillar Sibine stimulea (eucleid butterfly). Charming, but, like most beauties, very insidious. She stings with her hairs. For humans, its poison is not fatal, but much more unpleasant than the sting of bees or wasps. The pain is unbearable, to the point of loss of consciousness.

Once in my childhood, at my grandmother’s in the village, I saw an unusual caterpillar - a large, bright green one with orange horns. I don’t know what kind of butterfly it turned out to be, but the caterpillar was very beautiful. By the way, most beautiful caterpillars the butterflies are quite inconspicuous...

Among the caterpillars there are simply stunningly beautiful specimens, but the bright coloring most often indicates that these creatures are poisonous. This provides them with reliable protection from enemies, but people are curious and strive to hold these cuties in their hands. For example, a caterpillar eucleid butterflies (Sibine stimulea) looks funny: she seems to be wearing a green vest with a hole in the back. At both ends of the larva's body there are a pair of horn-like processes. On these processes there are many stinging hairs, touching which the offender will immediately be struck by poison. The sensations after contact with the eucleid caterpillar are very painful: the affected area swells, a rash and nausea appear. A person can remain in this state for several days. living in Northern and South America.

2. Sibine stimulation

Butterfly caterpillar dipper bear It resembles a zebra in color, only it is painted with black and orange stripes. These cute creatures have a truly brutal appetite, and they feed on plants of the ragus genus, most of which are poisonous. This species of butterfly was even specially distributed in New Zealand, Australia and North America in order to reduce the number of ragworts growing in the area. Actually, thanks to this diet, caterpillars become poisonous

3. Ursa rosa

Newly hatched butterfly larva monarch so small that after hatching it can hardly be seen. True, it grows very quickly, feeding exclusively on plants of the genus cottonweed, the milky juice of which is poisonous. Thanks to this, the larvae also become poisonous and inedible for predators. Very soon the monarch danaid caterpillar reaches 5 centimeters in length, and their striped black, white and yellow coloring can already be clearly seen. By the way, the monarch is considered one of the most beautiful butterflies in the world. One of the most famous butterflies North America, in the 19th century, representatives of this species were found in New Zealand and Australia. In Europe they are common Canary Islands and Madeira, during migrations noted in Russia, on Azores, in Sweden and Spain, found in northern Africa.

4. Monarch.

Caterpillar gypsy moth has on its body, covered with an unimaginable number of hairs, five pairs of red and six pairs of blue spots. The hairs serve mainly for propagation - thanks to them, the larvae are easily picked up and carried by the wind.

However, if the hairs are touched, pain and skin irritation will occur. The gypsy moth is a real scourge of forest lands; maples, elms and oaks are especially often affected by the caterpillars. The gypsy moth is distributed throughout almost all of Europe, North Africa, temperate latitudes Asia and North America, southern regions of Central Asia.

5. Gypsy moth.

Butterfly caterpillar Parasa indetermina family of tearworms does not exceed 1 inch in length, and is colored with longitudinal stripes of orange, yellow and Brown, and a wide purple stripe runs down the back. On the body of the caterpillar there are five pairs of massive processes similar to horns, which are dotted with small hairs with black tips. Touching the larva causes a very unpleasant sensation, as the poisonous tips dig into the skin, causing a rash and itching. The caterpillar feeds on the leaves of dogwood, maple, oak, cherry, apple, poplar and hickory and lives in North and South America.

6. Parasa indetermina

Lophocampa caryae - black and white caterpillar, whose body is covered with many grayish-white hairs. However, these hairs do not pose any danger, since the larva’s weapon is two pairs of black spines located in the front and back of the body, each of which is connected to a poisonous gland. Upon contact with thorns, irritation and rash appear on human skin. These caterpillars are common in southern Canada and the northern regions of the United States and are found between June and September. The larvae live for approximately 8 weeks, feeding on hickory and walnut leaves.

7. Lophocampa caryae

Automeris.io- Very beautiful butterfly family of peacock eyes, native to North America. Its caterpillar starts life orange, but as it ages it changes to bright green with two stripes of red and white on the sides of the body.

The entire surface of the larva's body is dotted with tufts of hairs, upon touching which the offender will be affected by two types of poison at once, causing severe pain, burning, and inflammation. This caterpillar feeds on the leaves of willow, maple, oak, elm, aspen, cherry and pear, and is found between February and September.

8.Automeris.io

Another representative of the slug family - Euclea delphinii. Its body, flattened at the top, does not exceed one inch in length, and is colored for the most part in green color, with two longitudinal orange-red stripes. Like other slugs, this caterpillar's weapon is poisonous spine-like hairs on the back of its body. Upon contact, they dig into the skin, and without medical care it will be difficult for the person. The species lives in the United States, feeding on the leaves of ash, oak, chestnut and some other trees.

9. Euclea delphinii

A few more caterpillars and their butterflies:

Butterflies from the squad blueberries quite often found in Russia, including Siberia. These butterflies are quite small, but so cute, and the caterpillars are quite ordinary.

10. Cupido arjades

11. Lucaena dispar

Peacock eye- a butterfly that can also often be found in our area. It's a beautiful butterfly, and its caterpillar is also quite interesting.

12. Peacock eye.

Swallowtail considered one of the most beautiful butterflies in Europe ( perhaps I saw a similar caterpillar in childhood). In total, there are 550 species of this beautiful family in the world fauna, inhabiting the temperate zone of Asia, northern Africa, North America, throughout Europe (absent only in Ireland, and in England it lives only in Norfolk). The swallowtail was once one of the most common butterflies in Europe, but is now a rare, declining species and is listed in the Red Book. The decline in the number of this beautiful butterfly is associated, first of all, with the change or complete destruction of its habitats through the use of pesticides and other toxic substances, as well as due to trapping.

13. Swallowtail sailboat

Ursa Caja (Arctia caja) distributed throughout Europe, as well as in Siberia, Far East, in Central and Asia Minor, in China, Korea and Japan, in North America. Lives in gardens, wastelands and other open places.

14. Arctia caja

The silver hole (Phalera bucephala) is found in all countries of the middle and of Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, the Baltic states, the European part of Russia and Turkey.

15. Phalera bucephala

Small peacock eye, or Night Peacock's Eye (Saturnia pavonia). The wingspan of these butterflies is 50 - 70 mm. Sexual dimorphism is pronounced: in females the background of the hind wings is gray, and in the male it is orange. The butterfly is distributed throughout most of Europe, Asia Minor, throughout forest zone Eurasia to Japan, in the European part of Russia, in the Caucasus, in Siberia, in the Far East. Inhabits heather heaths, as well as mountain, rocky steppes and deciduous forests.

16. Saturnia pavonia

Heliconid Julia (Dryas Julia) has a bright orange wing color; when at rest, it folds them and becomes like a dry leaf. Distributed in Central and South America. Occurs all year round, sometimes in large quantities.

17. Dryas Julia

Peacock-eye Atlas (Attacus atlas)- a butterfly from the Peacock-eye family is considered one of the largest butterflies in the world; wingspan up to 26 cm, females are noticeably larger than males. Found in tropical and subtropical forests South-East Asia, South China and from Thailand to Indonesia, Borneo, Java.

18.Attacs atlas.

Butterfly Heliconius melpomene belongs to the Heliconidae family; distributed over a vast area from Mexico to Brazil. Lives in wet forests, flies through copses, but avoids sunny places.

19. Heliconius melpomene

Junonia orithya (Nymphalida orithya); the halo of its habitat is Africa, South and Southeast Asia, India, Australia.

20. Jinonia orithya

And a few more caterpillars...

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For fans of "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" on the occasion of the anniversary - a gift from Zooblog: caterpillar-monkey, caterpillar-crystal, caterpillar-snake, poisonous caterpillar and many others!
The first thing that comes to mind when you say “caterpillar” is a green worm, but there are caterpillars in nature that don’t look like worms at all.

1. In the north of Australia you can find a brightly colored horned caterpillar - the larva of the slug butterfly . The slug has no legs and moves like a snail. It is protected from predators by poison that is stronger than that of wasps.

The slug baby turns from a brightly colored caterpillar into a small, boring butterfly.

2. Monster caterpillar, or caterpillar x voluminous imperial butterfly looks like a cartoon character

The little monster turns into a very beautiful butterfly.

3. "Crystal" caterpillar Acraga coa
In the jungles of South and Central America you can find this amazing creature, more like a magic crystal than a caterpillar.

"Crystal" caterpillars are tiny (no more than 25mm), very sticky and completely harmless.

The "Crystal" caterpillar transforms into the Dalcerida moth: a spectacular orange and fluffy butterfly.

4. Flower caterpillar, or moth caterpillar.
“It would be nice to do this - cut off all the curls. On the top of the head there is a red poppy, and around there are chamomiles.” Do you know this song? If not, then be sure to listen, because the moth caterpillar is making the dream of the hero of this song come true.

All over the caterpillar's body there are "daisies" and other flowers growing. Only the caterpillar does this not for beauty, but to hide from predators. Caterpillars secrete liquid silk, which they use to glue flower petals to themselves. The flower outfit must always be fresh and the caterpillar replaces withered flowers with new ones.
Find the caterpillar in the picture.

Moth butterflies are also great at hiding. A green butterfly on a green leaf is not easy to spot.

5. Snake caterpillar, or Hemeroplanes moth caterpillar.

These amazing caterpillars live on trees in the forests of Central America. In moments of danger, in order to scare away predators, they tear off top part their body from the branch, swell and become like the head of a snake with big eyes.

A talented actress snake caterpillar turns into a homely butterfly.

6. Giant caterpillar, or Hercules peacock eye.
Hercules caterpillars are real giants; they can reach a length of 15 cm.

Before pupation, the caterpillars spin a thick cocoon. Close relatives of Hercules (Chinese and Japanese peacock eye) are used to produce silk. The caterpillar turns into a huge butterfly with a wingspan of up to 27 cm. This is the largest butterfly in Australia.

7. Poisonous fluffies, or caterpillars of megapolis butterflies.

These amazing creatures live in North America. They can easily be confused with a ball of fluff, but you should not pick up such a ball. Under the long silky hairs are hidden sharp short bristles soaked in poison. The poison causes sharp pain, like a burn, which is why these caterpillars are often called “fiery creatures.”

From a fur caterpillar 2-3 cm long, the same small fur butterflies are obtained.

8. The "monkey slug" has nothing to do with monkeys or slugs - it is a caterpillar of the Rhobetron pithecium moth from North America.

9. Polar caterpillar, or Kuznetsov’s Volyanka.

This caterpillar lives in the Arctic, on Wrangel Island. In winter it freezes through, and in spring it thaws and begins to feed intensively. But the short northern summer is not enough to accumulate strength to transform into a butterfly and the caterpillar has to winter again and again. She will become a butterfly only in the 7th year of her life.

10. The “ugly duckling” caterpillar or urania is found only on the island of Madagascar.

From this caterpillar hatches the most beautiful butterfly in the world:

photo of urania's wing

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

Don't let the appearance of these quirky and adorable caterpillars fool you. 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, damage to the lymph nodes, 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 deadly to cattle and horses, but pose a certain health threat to people.

If you are susceptible to caterpillar hairs, touching them can cause hives, atopic asthma, kidney failure and cerebral hemorrhage.

6. Caterpillars of the traveling 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 small cut or from 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 and more serious health problems if the hairs get 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 left untreated, internal bleeding, renal failure and hemolysis.

Their venom is so powerful that scientists are studying it in hopes of developing a drug that prevents blood clots.

12. White cedar moth caterpillar (leptocneria reducta)

This caterpillar already inspires fear with its appearance. The hairs of this tiny crawling "cactus" can cause allergic reaction itching in some people.

In addition, the caterpillars themselves live in large groups, swarming the tree at the same time, eating every single leaf before moving on.

13. Saturnia Maya caterpillar (Hemileuca maia)

One look at this caterpillar should discourage you from touching it. It is covered with hollow spines attached to a venom sac, and touching it will not only cause itching and burning, but will also lead to nausea.

They live mainly on oaks and willows from spring to mid-summer.

14. Caterpillar (Orgyia leucostigma)

This caterpillar is easy to spot because of its red head, black back, and yellow stripes on its sides. In addition to the fact that this caterpillar stings unpleasantly, it is considered a pest of trees, eating everything woody in its path.

But try to remove it from the power source, and you will be in trouble. published

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 a few beautiful but dangerous caterpillars, from which it is better to stay away.

Caterpillars (photo)

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 her "fur" release poison, causing severe throbbing pain , which can radiate into 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 damage, sometimes shock or difficulty breathing.

The pain usually subsides after an hour, and the spots disappear after a few days. However, if a large amount of poison is ingested, 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 rash which will last for several days.

Types of caterpillars

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 have skin irritation.

4. Spiny oak slug caterpillar ( Euclea delphinii)

This caterpillar is not that dangerous to people, although touching it will still cause 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 fatal to cattle and horses and poses some health hazard to humans.

If you are sensitive to caterpillar hairs, touching them may cause urticaria, atopic bronchial asthma, renal failure and cerebral hemorrhage.

Caterpillars crawl (video)

6. Caterpillars of the traveling 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 poison that is found in their bristles is 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 rash and more serious health problems if hairs get into the eyes. Moreover, they are still bite.

Poisonous caterpillars

11. Lazy clown caterpillar (Lonomia obliqua)

This peacock butterfly caterpillar can safely be called a killer caterpillar. Its thorns are filled with coagulant poison - anticoagulant, which can lead to human death.

Light touching of these caterpillars can lead to headache, fever, vomiting and if left untreated, internal bleeding, renal failure and hemolysis.

Their venom is so powerful that scientists are studying it in hopes of developing a drug that prevents blood clots.

12. White cedar moth caterpillar (leptocneria reducta)

This caterpillar already inspires fear with its appearance. The hairs of this tiny crawling "cactus" can cause an allergic, itchy reaction in some people.

In addition, the caterpillars themselves live in large groups, swarming the tree at the same time, eating every single leaf before moving on.

13. Saturnia Mayan caterpillar ( Hemileuca maia)

One look at this caterpillar should discourage you from touching it. It is covered with hollow spines attached to a poison sac, and touching it will not only cause itching and burning, but will also lead to nausea.

They live mainly on oaks and willows from spring to mid-summer.

14. Volyanka caterpillar ( Orgyia leucostigma)

This caterpillar is easy to spot because of its red head, black back, and yellow stripes on its sides. Besides the fact that this caterpillar stings unpleasantly, it is considered a tree pest, eating everything woody in its path.

But try to remove it from the power source, and you will be in trouble.

15. Carnivorous caterpillars

While these caterpillars won't kill you, they do eat other insects, which is quite unusual for a caterpillar's usual vegetarian diet.

And remember, if a caterpillar has spines or hairs, it is better not to touch it, as, most likely, it may be poisonous!

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 a certain type plants. 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 distinguished by its green color 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.

Quite different large sizes. 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.