What do caterpillars of different butterflies eat? Description of caterpillars, their nutrition and structure

One of the greatest natural miracles is the transformation of a fat and clumsy caterpillar into a butterfly. Moreover, the butterfly is not always more beautiful than its larva - some caterpillars are so unusual, brightly colored and have a bizarre shape that the butterfly, especially if it is nocturnal, looks like an ugly duckling next to it.

This review contains magnificent photos illustrating what caterpillars of some species look like and what kind of butterfly they turn into. There are also some Interesting Facts about these incomparable creatures of nature.

1. Brahmin Moth

Brahmei butterflies are found in the East - in India, China, Burma, and are also common on some islands of Japan.

This is a nocturnal species of butterfly; they fly at night and sleep during the day with their wings spread. Butterflies and caterpillars are poisonous, so they have no enemies.

2. Peacock eye cecropia (Hyalophora cecropia)

The caterpillar is very poisonous, so with all its bright color it shows that it is better not to touch it. The tubercles have a rich color and additionally have dots, like those of poisonous ladybugs.

The peacock eye is the largest moth America - size larger than palm.

3. Spicebush Swallowtail

At first glance, this creature looks more like a fish or lizard than a caterpillar. Huge false eyes scare away predators. In addition, during its life of a couple of months, the larva changes color - the egg hatches chocolate brown with large white spots, then becomes bright emerald, and before pupation - orange with a red belly.

The black and blue velvet butterfly is common in North America, in some places hundreds of thousands of copies are collected in colonies.

4. Black Swallowtail

The caterpillar of the black swallowtail is very bright and noticeable - so that predators do not covet it. Although in fact it is quite edible.

This is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful European butterflies. During the flight, you can see how the color of the wings of the black swallowtail shimmers.

5. Tailed Emperor Butterfly (Polyura Sempronius)

This is not a dinosaur, but a soft imperial caterpillar. Its size is up to 2 cm, and the shell visually enlarges the baby and scares the birds.

The “tailed emperor” is found only in Australia and feeds on nectar from only one plant.

6. Dalcerida (Acraga coa)

The Dalcerida caterpillar appears glassy and transparent.

At the same time, the butterfly itself is very shaggy, brick-colored. Refers to moths. Lives in tropical forests Mexico.

7. Moth (Acharia Stimulea)

This strange creature of an incomprehensible color, with a bright green blanket - very dangerous creature. Each shoot secretes poison, and even one touch to the caterpillar can put an adult in the hospital.

And the butterfly is an ordinary night moth, almost invisible.

8. Witch moth caterpillar (Phobetron pithecium)

A real caterpillar witch! Lives in orchards of both American continents. It is also called the “slug monkey” for its unusual method of movement - it crawls along one leaf and jumps onto another leaf.

Witch butterflies are also quite spectacular and large. Lead night look life.

9. Greta Oto, or Glass Winged Butterfly

The caterpillar of the incredible Greta butterfly looks ordinary and does not attract attention.

But the glass butterfly with transparent wings looks simply amazing. This species lives in Mexico and throughout South America.

10. Large harpy, or spotted forktail (Cerura vinula)

Both the caterpillar and the harpy butterfly itself have a rather terrifying appearance. The growth in the form of a mustache confuses the birds, and they do not risk feasting on this completely edible larva.

The white moth from the Corydalis family is quite large and emits an unpleasant odor, so few people would dare try it.

11. Flannel Moth

This is not a tuft of fur on a bush, but the larva of a flannel moth. Very poisonous creature!!! Under no circumstances should you touch it!

Adult flannel moths appear soft and cuddly, but they are also poisonous. Found in the USA and Mexico.

12. Blue Morpho

This strange furry stick, whose head is unclear and where the tail is, after transformation will become one of the most beautiful butterflies in the world.

The blue Morpho butterfly lives in Central and South America. It is very large - reaches 210 mm in span. The wings have a metallic tint and shimmer when flying. There are 60 varieties of Morpho in all shades of blue.

13. Slug worm (Isochaetes beutenmuelleri)

This gorgeous caterpillar looks like an ornate ice crystal covered with numerous needles. The sight of it seems completely unappetizing to the birds!

And the adult butterfly is an ordinary night woodlice. Distributed throughout North America.

14. Silkmoth (Hubbard's Small Silkmoth)

This is exactly the famous caterpillar that makes silk thread, and people make wonderful fabric from it. These larvae eat only mulberry or mulberry leaves.

The silkworm butterfly is nocturnal.

15. Slug Butterfly (Isa Textula)

The leaf-shaped caterpillar stings with its hairs. She moves very interestingly - in zigzags, leaving noticeable traces.

The butterfly is also quite spectacular, 3-4 times smaller than a caterpillar and flies only at night.

16. Rainbow Blue Swallowtail Butterfly

The rainbow swallowtail caterpillar is a very impressive creature, looking like a horned bull.

A very beautiful and bright large butterfly lives in only one place on Earth - in the Ussuri taiga.

17. Spotted Apatelodes

This simply adorable furry caterpillar is extremely poisonous. By the way, her head is where there is one “feather”!

The spotted apatelodes moth is very large and buzzes loudly when it flies.

18. Saturnia Io (Automeris io)

Incredible bright green caterpillar with pompoms. Distributed in Canada and the USA. Very poisonous. The Indians used it to lubricate their arrows.

The colorful moth is also quite impressive, especially at night when those “eyes” glow.

19. Butterfly from the peacock-eye family (Attacus Atlas)

This furry miracle is a very rare larva. And all because people caught both them and butterflies en masse for sale.

The size of peacock eyes is impressive - up to 25 cm! The price of a copy reaches a thousand dollars. The atlas peacock eye is found in Southeast Asia, China, and Indonesia. The largest specimen with a wingspan of almost 27 cm was caught on the island. Java in 1922. This butterfly has no mouth and does not eat anything its entire life.

The insect class is one of the most diverse and numerous representatives of living beings inhabiting the globe. 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 the wine hawk moth, the ocellated hawk moth, the blind hawk moth, the kaya bear, moths, the 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! Silk thread is obtained from the cocoon of the silkworm butterfly, after which silk fabric is woven from it, and then various products are sewn.

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 the European part of 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 weather conditions. Despite such a short period of time, cabbage manages to cause serious damage to the crop.

This caterpillar is also called a land surveyor because of its original method of movement. This is due to the underdevelopment of the front 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 the forest-steppe zone of our continent. It feeds on the foliage of various bushes. These are fluffy caterpillars whose bodies are 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 enough 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! During the development process, the peacock butterfly larva 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.

Structure

Caterpillar body structure

	head breast abdomen body segment abdominal (false) legs spiracle (stigma) pectoral (true) legs mandibles
The general structure of the body of a caterpillar, as an example Macroglossum stellatarum.		Caterpillar body structure

Head

The head is formed by a dense capsule fused from six segments. Often, areas of the head are conventionally identified, occupying a relatively small area between the forehead and eyes, called the cheeks. On the underside of the head is the foramen magnum, which in most cases is heart-shaped.

Based on the position of the head relative to the body, it is customary to distinguish the following types:

• orthognathic- the longitudinal axis of the head is located more or less perpendicular to the axis of the body, the oral organs are directed downward. This type is characteristic of almost all large caterpillars that live openly on plants (club lepidoptera, hawkmoths, corydalis, cocoon moths, bears and others).
• prognathic,- the longitudinal axis of the head coincides with the axis of the body, the oral organs are directed forward. This type of head arose as an adaptation to a mining lifestyle. It is typical for Eriocraniidae, Stigmellidae, Phyllocnistidae and a number of other families. The head of this type is strongly flattened and is distinguished by the absence of a parietal suture. General form The heads are usually heart-shaped.
• semiprognathic- occupies an intermediate position between the first two types, characteristic of secretive caterpillars.

Caterpillar jaws

The typical head shape is round. Sometimes it can undergo changes - acquire triangular (many hawk moths), rectangular ( Catocala) or heart-shaped. Front surface at the same time it becomes flat or even depressed. The parietal apexes can protrude significantly above the surface of the body, sometimes turning into big horns or outgrowths ( Apatura, Charaxes) .

The eyes are represented by separate ocelli located on the sides of the head. They lie close to the oral organs and in most cases are located in the form of an arched row of five simple ocelli and one standing inside this arch. In some cases, their primitiveness or, conversely, specialization is observed. So, the New Zealand caterpillar Sabatina the eyes consist of five simple ocelli fused to form a compound eye.

The antennae are short and three-segmented. They are located on the sides of the head, between the eyes and upper jaws in the so-called antennal cavity. In some cases, the antennae undergo reduction - the number of segments decreases.

The upper jaws, or mandibles, are always well developed and represent highly sclerotized, strong formations that vary significantly in shape. Gnawing type. The apical edge of the mandibles usually bears teeth used for biting or cutting food. On inner edge Sometimes there are tubercles that serve for chewing food. Mandibles (maxillae) and underlip(labium) are fused, like in many other insects with complete transformation, into a single labio-maxillary complex. Salivary glands modified into silk separators.

Chest and abdomen

The body of the caterpillar, possessing extreme mobility, is enclosed in a soft membranous cover. The sclerotized areas are the tergites of the prothorax and the 10th abdominal segment. Each caterpillar segment can be divided into a number of secondary rings, separated by grooves, which are in no way different in appearance from the actual boundaries of the segments.

The pronotum (prothoracic shield) very rarely occupies the entire tergite, and in most caterpillars a small sclerite is separated from it, located in front of the spiracle (stigma), called the prestigmal shield, on which setae IV, V and VI sit. The meso- and metanotum are never completely sclerotized, and their lateral sections are always divided into several separate sclerites. The tergites of the abdominal segments are always divided into several sclerites associated with the primary setae and usually corresponding to their number.

The anus on the last segment is surrounded by 4 lobes. Not all of these lobes can be well developed at the same time. The upper one, the supranal lobe, hangs over the anus. The lower, sub-anal lobe is often presented in the form of a thick conical fleshy lobe; a pair of lateral or anal lobes - paraprocts - are usually well developed in moths and corydalis in the form of rather large outgrowths with setae at the end.

Almost all caterpillars belong to the group with one closed stigma (spiracle) on the chest. The exception is certain species leading an aquatic lifestyle. Their stigmata are closed and are replaced by tracheal gills.

The chest bears only one open, functioning stigma. The second reduced spiracle is located between the mesothorax and metathorax. The thoracic spiracles are usually larger than the abdominal ones. The abdomen on segments 1-8 bears eight pairs of stigmas located below the thoracic stigma and more or less in the middle of the segment or somewhat closer to its anterior edge. The stigma of the 8th segment is located above the other abdominal segments and is larger than them, while the stigma of the 1st segment, on the contrary, lies somewhat lower than the others. The shape of stigmas can be round or oval.

Limbs

A caterpillar hanging on a silk silk. Three pairs of thoracic and five pairs of abdominal legs are clearly visible.

Most caterpillars have three pairs of thoracic legs (one pair on each chest segment) and five pairs of false abdominal legs on abdominal segments III-VI and X. The abdominal legs bear small hooks, located differently in different groups of Lepidoptera - in the form of a circle, longitudinal or transverse rows. The leg consists of five segments: coxa, trochanter, femur, tibia and tarsus.

The thoracic legs of caterpillars are to some extent reduced in comparison with truly walking legs, and the function of locomotion is carried out mainly by the abdominal legs. At the end of the chest paw there is a claw motionlessly articulated with it, which can have different lengths and shapes. The final part of the ventral leg is the sole, which can retract and protrude and bears claws at its distal end.

There are two types of sole structure:

In different groups of butterflies, deviations from the described variant of the arrangement of the legs are described. The best known are moth caterpillars, most of which have only two pairs of abdominal legs (on segments VI and X). As a result, moth caterpillars move as if “walking.” Russian name, like German (German. Spanner) comes from the similarity of the movement of the caterpillar with the movements of the hand of a person measuring length with a span. Latin name family of moths - Geometridae(from the Latinized Greek “surveyor”) was also given by him in connection with this feature. It is less known that the abdominal legs can be reduced on abdominal segments III and IV in the caterpillars of some cutworms ( Noctuidae).

Hypsipyla grandela Dangerous pest from Brazil

Some caterpillars have been described to have more than five pairs of abdominal legs. In toothed moths ( Micropterigidae) - eight, megalopygid ( Megalopygidae) - seven (from II to VII and on the X segment), one of the genera of dwarf miner moths ( Stigmella from the family Nepticulidae) - six (from II to VII segments) pairs.

In addition, the legs (both abdominal and thoracic) can be completely reduced in small leaf miners.

Body coverings and their appendages

The body of a caterpillar is almost never completely naked; it is covered with various formations, which can be divided into cuticular outgrowths, hairs and body outgrowths.

Cuticular outgrowths are sculptural elements and small outgrowths of the cuticle: spines, granules, stellate formations, which may have the appearance of small hairs - chaetoids.

Hairs, bristles and their derivatives differ from sculptural elements in their articulation with the cuticle and development due to special cells of the hypodermis. The base of the hair is surrounded by an annular ridge, or the hair is located in a recess. Conventionally, hairs are divided into hairs themselves and bristles, the latter being stronger. The hairs are very different in shape. In most cases, they are presented as thread-like or bristle-like formations.

Body skin outgrowths are formations consisting of skin protrusions and having a cavity inside that communicates with the body cavity. These include tubercles - various formations associated with primary setae. A wart is a protrusion covered with a tuft of bristles or hair; warts can be spherical or, conversely, flattened and oval, often very large, for example, in Lymantriidae. The characteristic outgrowths are represented by spines.

In rare cases, aquatic caterpillars develop tracheal gills on their bodies. They are usually present on all body segments (except for the prothorax and the 10th abdominal segment) in the form of bundles of delicate filaments with trachea entering into them. Stigmas in these cases are closed.

The soft cuticle of caterpillars is folded and does not fit tightly to the body, so they can grow between molts, but only until the cuticle folds stretch and the caterpillar’s ​​body fills the entire volume of the exoskeleton.

Physiology

Nutrition

Most caterpillars are phytophagous - they feed on leaves, flowers and fruits of plants. Some species feed on lichens or fungi. A number of species - keratophages - feed on wax, wool, horny substances (caterpillars of moths of the genus Ceratophaga live in the horns of African antelopes, feeding on keratin). A few species are xylophagous - glass beetles and wood borers. Caterpillars of some species are predators, feeding on aphids, scale insects, larvae and pupae of ants. Caterpillars of some species are characterized by oligophagy - feeding on a very limited number of plant species. For example, polyxena caterpillars feed on only four species of plants of the genus Kirkazon, and caterpillars feed exclusively on mulberry leaves. In addition, the caterpillar eats the shell of its egg immediately after hatching, and then other eggs that it comes across.

The digestive tract is connected to the rest of the body only at the anterior and posterior ends, due to which, probably, the movement of the rest of the body does not interfere with the caterpillars digesting food.

In the digestive tract of caterpillars, there are three main groups of digestive enzymes - proteases, carbohydrases and lipases.

Silk formation

Spinning machine

The spinning apparatus consists of the spinning papilla and the sclerite that carries it. The spinal papilla is a tube, the upper wall of which is usually shorter than the lower one, the end edge of which is uneven. The edges of the papilla are sometimes framed with fringe. The silk duct passing through the papilla opens at its distal end. In very rare cases, for example Microplerygidae and some miners, the spinous papilla appears to be absent.

The papilla is extremely variable in shape and length among representatives of different groups. There is a close connection between the structure of the spinning papilla and the silk-secreting activity of caterpillars. Caterpillars entwining their passages, for example Hepialidae and the majority Microfrenata, have a long, thin and cylindrical spinal papilla. On the contrary, a short and flattened papilla is found only in caterpillars that do not weave cocoons or whose silk-secreting activity is limited, for example, in hawkmoths, many cutworms and miners.

Some features are observed in the development of the silk-secreting glands of caterpillars. In the last 4 days of the caterpillar's life, when it is still feeding, the gland develops very quickly and short time achieves his goal maximum weight. A day after the start of cocoon weaving, the weight of the gland sharply decreases, and then continues to decrease further, until the caterpillar finishes weaving the cocoon. Cells that produce silk synthesize it, apparently due to accumulated substances. In the oak silkworm, the weaving of the cocoon depends on the humidity of the surrounding air - so in an atmosphere with high humidity, caterpillars do not weave a cocoon.

Chemical composition and structure of silk

• caterpillars leading a free lifestyle, openly feeding on food plants;
• caterpillars leading a hidden lifestyle.

Bagworm caterpillar cover ( Psychidae), attached by mulberry to a cereal leaf before pupation.

Caterpillars of diurnal, or club-whiskered, butterflies, as well as most other large Lepidoptera, live openly on food plants. Caterpillars of many families of moth-like lepidoptera lead a secretive lifestyle: in the soil, litter or turf of cereals (often in silk tunnels); inside food plants, mining leaves, shoots and fruits; making various cases that the caterpillar, crawling, drags behind itself (bagworms are most famous for this ( Psychidae), but wearing covers is much more widespread). Caterpillars of very few species live in water, feeding on aquatic plants.

All caterpillars are able to secrete silk. Most use it to attach to the substrate when moving. A caterpillar crawling along a plant or soil constantly leaves behind a thin silken path. If she falls from the branch, she will remain hanging on a silk thread. Caterpillars of some families of moths and moths build tunnels (silk tunnels) from silk. Anyone who has seen the damage caused by the caterpillars of real moths to fur or wool products has noticed silken passages in the undercoat or on the surface of knitted items. Bag makers and some others use silk thread as the basis for making a portable case. Caterpillars of ermine moths and some corydalis build mulberry nests on food plants. In some families, for example, cocoon moths, peacock moths and true silkworms, the caterpillar builds a silk cocoon before molting onto a pupa.

Ecology

Migrations

Caterpillars of the pine silkworm

Symbionts

In a number of species, caterpillars live in anthills, being in a symbiotic relationship with ants, for example, with the genus Myrmica .

The caterpillars of approximately half of all blueberry species ( Lycaenidae) are somehow connected in their development cycle with ants.

Caterpillars of leaf miners Phyllonorycter blancardella live in symbiosis with bacteria that secrete cytokines, these hormones stimulate plant cell division, prolonging photosynthesis, and the resulting “green islands” allow the insect to survive the winter.

Gallery

Caterpillars in culture

In literature

To the cinema

• The caterpillar is the heroine of the Russian cartoon "Gagarin" (1994).
• The Caterpillar (Blue Caterpillar) is the heroine of the 1972 musical film “Alice in Wonderland” (original title “Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland”), produced in Great Britain.
• The caterpillar is the heroine of the American cartoon “The Adventures of Flick” (1998).
• Caterpillar ( Green caterpillar) - the heroine of a French cartoon Minuscule (2006).

Economic significance

The species whose caterpillars produce silk are primarily useful to humans. In nature, silk is produced by the caterpillars of many butterflies, constructing cocoons from it. The textile industry prefers ( Bombyx mori), domesticated by humans. Also used in sericulture are the Chinese oak peacock eye ( Antheraea pernyi), which has been bred in China for more than 250 years. Silk is obtained from its cocoons, which is used to make chesuchi. Other types of silkworms do not develop well in captivity, so they are limited to collecting their cocoons in nature. plays an important economic role in silk production. To obtain silk thread, the pupae are first killed using hot steam and water on the tenth day after pupation. A silk cocoon usually contains up to 3,500 meters of fiber, but it can be unwound by barely a third. To get 1 kilogram of raw silk, you need cocoons of about a thousand caterpillars, which eat 60 kilograms of leaves in a month and a half. From 100 kg of cocoons you can get approximately 9 kg of silk thread. Today, 45,000 tons of silk are produced annually worldwide. The main suppliers are Japan, the Republic of Korea and China.

Dried silkworm caterpillars infected with fungus Beauveria bassiana, used in Chinese folk medicine.

Caterpillars of some species can be used in weed control. The most striking example is the one specially brought to Australia in 1925 from Uruguay and from northern regions Argentina cactus moth ( Cactoblastis cactorum) helped get rid of the introduced prickly pear cactus, which had overgrown millions of hectares of pastures. In 1938, in the Darling River valley, Australian farmers erected a special monument to the caterpillars who saved Australia.

Notes

1. Big encyclopedic Dictionary"Biology". - ed. M. S. Gilyarova, M.: Bolshaya Russian encyclopedia, 1998. ISBN 5-85270-252-8
2. Vasmer M. Etymological dictionary of the Russian language. - Progress. - M., 1964–1973. - T. 1. - P. 477.
3. Boryś W. Słownik etymologiczny języka polskiego. - Wydawnictwo Literackie. - Kraków, 2005. - P. 158. - ISBN 978-83-08-04191-8
4. Gerasimov A. M. Caterpillars. - 2nd. - Moscow, Leningrad: Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences, 1952. - T. 1. - (Fauna of the USSR).
5. Akimushkin I. I. Six-legged arthropods // Animal World: Insects. Spiders. Pets. - 4th ed. - M.: Mysl, 1995. - T. 3. - P. 13. - 462 p. - 15,000 copies. - ISBN 5-244-00806-4
6. Gerasimov A. M. Fauna of the USSR. Volume 56. Lepidoptera insects. Caterpillars. - M.: Publishing house of the USSR Academy of Sciences, 1952.
7. The movement of the caterpillar with its insides forward is open. membrana (July 23, 2010). Archived from the original on June 25, 2012. Retrieved May 20, 2012.
8. Physiology of insects R. Chauvin 1953
9. Key to freshwater invertebrates of Russia. T. 5. St. Petersburg. , 2001, p. 74-78.
10. Milius, Susan Hawaiian Caterpillars Are First Known Amphibious Insects. U.S. News & World Report (23 March 2010). Archived from the original on February 11, 2012.
11. Belokobylsky S. A., Tobias V. I. 2007. Sem. Braconidae - Braconids. 9. Subfamily Alysiinae. A group of genera close to Aspilota // In the book: Key to insects of the Russian Far East. Reticuloptera, Scorpioptera, Hymenoptera. - Vladivostok: Dalnauka. T. 4, part 5. P. 9-133.
12. Tobias V. I. (editor and author or first author) Order Hymenoptera - Hymenoptera. Family Braconidae - Braconids. 1986. Key to insects of the European part of the USSR. T. 3. The fourth part. 500 s.; Fifth part: p. 1-231, 284-307, Sem. Aphidiidae - Aphidiids, p. 232-283, 308.

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Caterpillar - description, characteristics, structure and photo. What does a caterpillar look like?

Torso.

The length of the caterpillar, according to the variety, varies from a few millimeters to 12 cm, as in individual specimens of the Saturnia butterfly (peacock eye).

The caterpillar's body consists of a clearly visible head, thoracic, abdominal sections and several pairs of limbs located on the chest and abdomen.

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Head.

The caterpillar's head is represented by six fused segments, forming a hard capsule. Between the forehead and eyes the area of ​​the cheeks is conventionally distinguished; at the bottom of the head there is the occipital foramen, which looks like a heart.

A round head shape is typical for most caterpillars, although there are exceptions. For example, many hawk moths have a triangle-shaped head, while other species have a rectangular head. The parietal parts can protrude strongly above the head, forming a kind of “horns”. Small antennae, consisting of 3 consecutive joints, grow on the sides of the head.

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Oral apparatus.

All caterpillars are distinguished by a gnawing type of mouthparts. The upper jaws of the insect are well formed: their upper edge contains teeth designed for gnawing or tearing food. Inside there are tubercles that perform the function of chewing food. The salivary glands are transformed into specific spinning (silk-secreting) glands.

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Eyes.

The eyes of caterpillars are a primitive visual apparatus containing a single lens. Typically, several simple ocelli are located one behind the other, in an arc, or they form 1 complex eye merged from 5 simple ones. Plus 1 eye is located inside this arc. Thus, caterpillars have 5-6 pairs of eyes in total.

Torso.

The caterpillar's body consists of segments separated by grooves and is covered in a soft shell, which provides the body with maximum mobility. The anus is surrounded by special lobes that have varying degrees of development.

The insect's respiratory organ, the spiracle, is a stigma located on the chest. Only in species living in water are the spiracles replaced by tracheal gills.

Most caterpillars have 3 pairs of thoracic limbs and 5 pairs of false abdominal legs. The abdominal limbs end in small hooks. On each thoracic limb there is a sole with a claw, which the caterpillar retracts or protrudes when moving.

There are no completely naked caterpillars: the body of each is covered with various formations - outgrowths, hairs or a well-grown cuticle. Cuticle growths are star-shaped, spines or granules that look like small hairs or bristles. Moreover, the bristles grow in a strictly defined way, characteristic of a particular family, genus and even species. The outgrowths consist of raised skin formations - tubercles, similar to flat, round or oval warts and spines. Caterpillar hairs are represented by thin individual threads or tufts.

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Caterpillar development.

Depending on the species, the caterpillar can develop from several weeks to several years. Caterpillars of northern butterfly species do not have time to complete their development cycle in one season, so they hibernate (diapause) until next summer. For example, a butterfly, living in the Arctic Circle, can remain in the caterpillar stage for up to 12-14 years.

During its development cycle, the caterpillar undergoes not only significant age-related changes in the size and color of the body, but also striking metamorphoses. For example, the transformation of an almost naked caterpillar into a furry one or vice versa.

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Caterpillars molt.

Each caterpillar molts several times during its entire period of existence. Miner caterpillars are susceptible to the least number of moults (2 times). The standard number of molts is 4, although some species molt 5 or 7 times. Unfavourable conditions environment cause a sharp increase in the number of molts, for example, a clothes moth caterpillar can molt from 4 to 40 times. It has also been observed that females molt more often than males.

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Silk caterpillar.

Each caterpillar secretes silk, which it uses to move around and attach to surfaces. When a caterpillar crawls along a branch, the finest silk trail trails behind it. If it falls from somewhere, it will definitely hang on its silk thread.

Silk separation occurs due to the spinning apparatus of the caterpillar, consisting of a spinning papilla-tube located on the sclerite.

The resulting silk fiber emerges from the opening of the labial glands and then undergoes a pressing process that gives the fiber a ribbon shape. The fibers of the caterpillar are secreted by a pair of glands and in the outlet duct of the glands they are glued together with a special sticky substance. The mechanism of hardening of silk fibers is not well understood, but the theory of hardening by drying has been rejected because the silk of aquatic caterpillars hardens directly in water.

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Most caterpillars live on land, although some species develop underwater (broad-winged moths). And Hawaiian moth caterpillars live both on land and in water, being adapted to exist in any environment.

In accordance with their living conditions, caterpillars are divided into 2 categories: secretive and leading a free lifestyle.

Secretive caterpillars include the following varieties:

• leafworms - develop in curled tree leaves;
• frugivores (carpophagous) - live in fruits;
• drillers (xylophagous) - live inside the trunks, shoots and roots of trees;
• miners - make passages and inhabit the structure of leaves, petioles, buds and peel of fruits;
• gall formers - provoke pathological growth of plant parts damaged by them;
• underground caterpillars - live in the ground;
• aquatic caterpillars - live in water.

The second variety of caterpillars, which live freely on the plants they eat, make up the majority of caterpillars large species butterflies.

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What do caterpillars eat?

The hatched caterpillar first devours the shell of the egg in which it developed, and then proceeds to its main diet.

Most caterpillars are herbivores (phytophages) and feed on green mass and fruits of plants. According to the food supply, caterpillars are divided into 4 types:

• polyphagous - indiscriminate caterpillars that eat any vegetation, for example, the caterpillars of most moths;
• oligophages prefer plants of a certain family or genus. For example, swallowtail caterpillars eat only umbrella plants;
• Monophages consume a single type of vegetation. Thus, silkworm caterpillars feed only on mulberry leaves;
• xylophages do not eat anything except wood, and constitute a small variety of caterpillars - mainly glass beetles and wood borers.

The transitional form is considered to be a variety of caterpillars that eat lichens and tinder fungi. This category includes representatives of the genus of true moths. For example, the granary moth caterpillar thrives on poisonous ergot.

A few species of caterpillars are keratophagous by nature and eat elements of animal origin: horny substance, hair, wool and skin. Vivid examples are caterpillars of furniture, carpet and clothes moths. Caterpillars of true moths eat only wax, and bee moths eat honey.

Predatory caterpillars are the smallest group: most cases of predation occur when the population density is high and there is a lack of usual food. For example, cotton bollworm and bear moth caterpillars are carnivorous and attack their own kind, weakened and diseased caterpillars.

Caterpillars of the narrow-snouted and raspberry moths, as well as the sun moth, which feed on scale insects, are considered natural predators. Predatory blueberry caterpillars eat aphids, and moth caterpillars are exclusively insectivorous and are distinguished by a rich set of hunting devices for catching their victims.

There are species of caterpillars that live in symbiosis with ants - for example, some varieties of blueberries. These caterpillars live in the anthill and control the behavior of ants by chemical means, secreting a special sweet liquid, or by acoustic means, making special sounds that attract ants.

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Types of caterpillars - photos and names.

Among the great variety of different caterpillars, the following varieties are of greatest interest:

• Cabbage caterpillar or cabbage butterfly caterpillar ( cabbage whites) (lat. Pieris brassicae) lives throughout the territory of Eastern Europe, northern Africa to Japanese islands, and also introduced to South America. The caterpillar is 3.5 cm long, has 16 legs and has a light green body covered with black warts and short black hairs. Depending on the weather, the caterpillar stage lasts from 13 to 38 days. These caterpillars feed on cabbage, horseradish, radishes, turnips, turnips and shepherd's purse. They are considered the main pest of cabbage.

• The moth (land surveyor) caterpillar (lat. Geometridae) is characterized by a long thin body and undeveloped abdominal legs, due to which it has an original method of movement - it bends in a loop, while pulling the abdominal legs to the pectoral legs. The family includes more than 23 thousand species of moths distributed throughout the world. All types of caterpillars of this family have well-developed muscles, and therefore are able to attach themselves vertically to plants, perfectly imitating broken branches and petioles. The color of the caterpillars is similar to the color of foliage or bark, which additionally serves as an excellent camouflage. They eat tree needles, currants and hazel.

• The great harpy caterpillar (lat. Cerura vinula = Dicranura vinula) lives throughout Europe, Central Asia and northern Africa. Adult caterpillars grow up to 6 cm and are distinguished by a green body with a purple diamond on the back, bordered by a white outline. In case of danger, the caterpillar inflates, takes a threatening pose and sprays out a caustic substance. The insect remains in the caterpillar stage from early summer to September, feeding on the leaves of plants from the willow and poplar families, including the common aspen.

• The red-tailed caterpillar (lat. Calliteara pudibunda) is found in the forest-steppe zone throughout Eurasia, as well as in Asia Minor and Central Asia. The caterpillar, up to 5 cm long, is pinkish, brown or gray in color. The body is densely covered with individual hairs or tufts of hair, at the end there is a tail of protruding crimson-colored hairs. This is a poisonous caterpillar: upon contact with human skin, it causes a painful allergy. These caterpillars eat leaves different trees and shrubs, especially preferring hops.

• Silkworm caterpillar (lat. Bombyx mori) or silkworm. Lives in East Asia: in northern China and Russia, in the southern regions of Primorye. The caterpillar is 6-7 cm long, its wavy body is densely covered with blue and brown hairy warts. After 4 molts, completing the 32-day development cycle, the color of the caterpillar becomes yellow. The food of the silkworm caterpillar is exclusively mulberry leaves. This insect has been actively used in sericulture since the 27th century BC. e.

• Caterpillar of the corrosive woodworm (lat. Zeuzera pyrina) from the woodworm family. Found in all European countries except the Far North, as well as in South Africa, South-East Asia and in North America. It overwinters twice, during which time it changes color from yellow-pink to yellow-orange with black, glossy warts. The length of the insect is 5-6 cm. Caterpillars live inside the branches and trunks of various trees, feeding on their juices. raspberries, strawberries, and feeds on them.

• The swallowtail caterpillar (lat. Papilio machaon) lives throughout Europe, Asia, northern Africa and North America. One of the most colorful caterpillars: at first black, with scarlet warts, and as it grows it becomes green with black transverse stripes. Each stripe contains 6-8 red-orange spots. The disturbed caterpillar secretes an odorous orange-yellow liquid. It feeds on carrots, celery, wormwood, parsley, and sometimes alder leaves.

The smallest caterpillar in the world is a member of the moth family. For example, clothes moth caterpillars (lat. Tineola bisselliella), which have just emerged from eggs, reach a length of only 1 mm.

The largest caterpillar in the world is the Atlas peacock caterpillar (lat. Attacus atlas). The bluish-green caterpillar, as if dusted with white dust, grows up to 12 cm in length.

A caterpillar is the larva of a butterfly, moth or moth - insects from the order Lepidoptera.

Caterpillar - description, characteristics, structure and photo. What does a caterpillar look like?

Torso

The length of the caterpillar, according to the variety, varies from a few millimeters to 12 cm, as in individual specimens of the Saturnia butterfly (peacock eye).

The caterpillar's body consists of a clearly visible head, thoracic, abdominal sections and several pairs of limbs located on the chest and abdomen.

Head

The caterpillar's head is represented by six fused segments, forming a hard capsule. Between the forehead and eyes the area of ​​the cheeks is conventionally distinguished; at the bottom of the head there is the occipital foramen, which looks like a heart.

A round head shape is typical for most caterpillars, although there are exceptions. For example, many hawk moths have a triangle-shaped head, while other species have a rectangular head. The parietal parts can protrude strongly above the head, forming a kind of “horns”. Small antennae, consisting of 3 consecutive joints, grow on the sides of the head.

Oral apparatus

All caterpillars are distinguished by a gnawing type of mouthparts. The upper jaws of the insect are well formed: their upper edge contains teeth designed for gnawing or tearing food. Inside there are tubercles that perform the function of chewing food. The salivary glands are transformed into specific spinning (silk-secreting) glands.

Eyes

The eyes of caterpillars are a primitive visual apparatus containing a single lens. Typically, several simple ocelli are located one behind the other, in an arc, or they form 1 complex eye merged from 5 simple ones. Plus 1 eye is located inside this arc. Thus, caterpillars have 5-6 pairs of eyes in total.

Torso

The caterpillar's body consists of segments separated by grooves and is covered in a soft shell, which provides the body with maximum mobility. The anus is surrounded by special lobes that have varying degrees of development.

The insect's respiratory organ, the spiracle, is a stigma located on the chest. Only in species living in water are the spiracles replaced by tracheal gills.

Most caterpillars have 3 pairs of thoracic limbs and 5 pairs of false abdominal legs. The abdominal limbs end in small hooks. On each thoracic limb there is a sole with a claw, which the caterpillar retracts or protrudes when moving.

There are no completely naked caterpillars: the body of each is covered with various formations - outgrowths, hairs or a well-grown cuticle. Cuticle growths are star-shaped, spines or granules that look like small hairs or bristles. Moreover, the bristles grow in a strictly defined way, characteristic of a particular family, genus and even species. The outgrowths consist of raised skin formations - tubercles, similar to flat, round or oval warts and spines. Caterpillar hairs are represented by thin individual threads or tufts.

Life in a cocoon

To survive during the period of “inactivity” and defenselessness, the caterpillars find a suitable leaf, branch or tree trunk to which they can quietly “stick” with a strong silk thread, which they secrete from the abdomen.

To understand how a caterpillar turns into butterflies, you should delve into its ability to properly prepare yourself for this.

Having stuck to the selected surface, the caterpillar hangs on the silk thread and begins to wrap it around its body. This happens gradually, but what is important is that when wrapped, the caterpillar gives its cocoon an appearance similar to a leaf, bud or stem of the plant it has chosen.

The resemblance is so obvious that only a very observant eye can detect a cocoon on its surface. This is done so that the defenseless caterpillar is not found and eaten.

How a caterpillar turns into a butterfly inside a cocoon can only be seen by filming with special equipment in laboratory conditions. This process is so slow and secretive that it is impossible to observe it in nature.

The reserves that the caterpillar has managed to deposit in its body are quite enough for the strength to metamorphose into a butterfly.

Types of caterpillars - photos and names

Among the great variety of different caterpillars, the following varieties are of greatest interest:

• Cabbage caterpillar or cabbage butterfly caterpillar(cabbage whiteweed) (lat. Pieris brassicae) lives throughout Eastern Europe, northern Africa to the Japanese islands, and was also introduced to South America. The caterpillar is 3.5 cm long, has 16 legs and has a light green body covered with black warts and short black hairs. Depending on the weather, the caterpillar stage lasts from 13 to 38 days. These caterpillars feed on cabbage, horseradish, radishes, turnips, turnips and shepherd's purse. They are considered the main pest of cabbage.

• Moth caterpillar (surveyor)(lat. Geometridae) is characterized by a long thin body and undeveloped abdominal legs, due to which it is distinguished by an original method of movement - it bends in a loop, while pulling the abdominal legs towards the pectoral legs. The family includes more than 23 thousand species of moths distributed throughout the world. All types of caterpillars of this family have well-developed muscles, and therefore are able to attach themselves vertically to plants, perfectly imitating broken branches and petioles. The color of the caterpillars is similar to the color of foliage or bark, which additionally serves as an excellent camouflage. They eat tree needles, currants and hazel.

• Great Harpy Caterpillar(lat. Cerura vinula = Dicranura vinula) lives throughout Europe, Central Asia and northern Africa. Adult caterpillars grow up to 6 cm and are distinguished by a green body with a purple diamond on the back, bordered by a white outline. In case of danger, the caterpillar inflates, takes a threatening pose and sprays out a caustic substance. The insect remains in the caterpillar stage from early summer to September, feeding on the leaves of plants from the willow and poplar families, including the common aspen.

• Redtail caterpillar(bashful woolly foot) (lat. Calliteara pudibunda) is found in the forest-steppe zone throughout Eurasia, as well as in Asia Minor and Central Asia. The caterpillar, up to 5 cm long, is pinkish, brown or gray in color. The body is densely covered with individual hairs or tufts of hair, at the end there is a tail of protruding crimson-colored hairs. This is a poisonous caterpillar: upon contact with human skin, it causes a painful allergy. These caterpillars eat the foliage of various trees and shrubs, especially preferring hops.

• Silkworm caterpillar(lat. Bombyx mori) or silkworm. Lives in East Asia: in northern China and Russia, in the southern regions of Primorye. The caterpillar is 6-7 cm long, its wavy body is densely covered with blue and brown hairy warts. After 4 molts, completing the 32-day development cycle, the color of the caterpillar becomes yellow. The food of the silkworm caterpillar is exclusively mulberry leaves. This insect has been actively used in sericulture since the 27th century BC. e.

• Corrosive woodworm caterpillar(lat. Zeuzera pyrina) from the woodworm family. It is found in all European countries except the Far North, as well as in South Africa, Southeast Asia and North America. It overwinters twice, during which time it changes color from yellow-pink to yellow-orange with black, glossy warts. The length of the insect is 5-6 cm. Caterpillars live inside the branches and trunks of various trees, feeding on their juices.

• Lady Bear Caterpillar(lat. Callimorpha dominula) or female bear lives in the territory of the Eastern, Western Europe and in southeast Asia. It overwinters once and is distinguished by its black and blue color with yellow stripes and spots. Lives on nettles, geraniums, willows, raspberries, strawberries, and feeds on them.

• Swallowtail caterpillar(lat. Papilio machaon) lives throughout Europe, Asia, northern Africa and North America. One of the most colorful caterpillars: at first black, with scarlet warts, and as it grows it becomes green with black transverse stripes. Each stripe contains 6-8 red-orange spots. The disturbed caterpillar secretes an odorous orange-yellow liquid. It feeds on carrots, celery, wormwood, parsley, and sometimes alder leaves.

• The smallest caterpillar in the world is a member of the moth family. For example, clothes moth caterpillars (lat. Tineola bisselliella), which have just emerged from eggs, reach a length of only 1 mm.

• The largest caterpillar in the world- This is the caterpillar of the peacock eye atlas (lat. Attacus atlas). The bluish-green caterpillar, as if dusted with white dust, grows up to 12 cm in length.

Poisonous caterpillars - description, types and photos.

Among the caterpillars there are quite poisonous specimens, so a bite from such a caterpillar or accidentally touching it can cause unpleasant sensations. Typically, such contact results in pain at the site of contact, redness and swelling of the skin, and less commonly, an itchy rash may appear. There are frequent cases of drowsiness, headache, gastrointestinal upset, increased blood pressure and temperature. In a word, don’t be fooled by the bright and spectacular appearance these creatures - sometimes they are dangerous.

The most famous poisonous caterpillars, ready to defend themselves from enemies and protect their food from attacks with the help of a “poisonous cocktail,” include:

• Coquette caterpillar (lat. Megalopyge opercularis)
• Saddle caterpillar (lat. Sibine stimulea)
• Caterpillar “stinging rose” (lat. Parasa indetermina)
• Spiny oak slug caterpillar (lat. Euclea delphinii)
• Caterpillar of the black bear (lat. Tyria jacobaeae)
• Traveling silkworm caterpillar (lat. Thaumetopoea pityocampa)
• Hickory bear caterpillar (Lophocampa caryae)
• Lazy clown caterpillar (lat. Lonomia obliqua)
• Saturnia Maya caterpillar (lat. Hemileuca maia)
• Volyanka caterpillar (lat. Orgyia leucostigma)

Poisonous caterpillar(lat. Megalopyge opercularis) is an insect that looks quite cute and resembles a miniature furry animal. However, this caterpillar is one of the most poisonous caterpillars, living on the North American continent and Mexico. The color of the “fur coat”, under which the poisonous spines are located, varies from light gray to golden or red-brown. The length of the caterpillar does not exceed three centimeters, the width of the body is 1 cm, but even such modest dimensions make it very dangerous. After contact with an insect, within a couple of minutes, acute throbbing pain and noticeable redness of the skin, even bruising, appear at the site of contact. Later, painful enlargement of the lymph nodes, shortness of breath and chest pain occur.

Saddle Caterpillar(lat. Sibine stimulea) - a caterpillar of bright green color, both ends of the body are brown, the middle of the body has a brownish spot enclosed in a white edging, which gives this area a resemblance to a saddle. The length of the caterpillar, which lives in North and South America, is 2-3 centimeters; two pairs of fleshy appendages are equipped with stiff hairs, which contain quite strong poison. The prick of these furry stings causes severe pain, swelling of the skin, rash and nausea that lasts for several days.

Poisonous caterpillar “lazy clown”(lat. Lonomia obliqua) - an insect that lives en masse in Uruguay and Mozambique, has the most powerful natural toxin known today. The caterpillar can reach 6-7 centimeters in length, has a greenish-brown color, and accumulates venom in its spruce-shaped shoots. It loves shade, so the caterpillar usually lives in the foliage of trees, but often moves into residential courtyards. As a result of contact with this insect, painful hemorrhages appear on the skin; the caterpillar's venom can affect internal organs, causing renal colic, bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract, pulmonary edema and even nervous system disorders.

Fighting caterpillars: means and methods.

Many species of caterpillars are pests and eat fruit trees, fruits and vegetables.

There are many methods to combat caterpillars, grouped into 3 main groups:

• mechanical means of combat with caterpillars traditional methods consist of manually collecting and shaking off caterpillars from plants, as well as cutting off wintering clutches. A proven method is to catch caterpillars using trapping adhesive belts and various traps with bait liquid.
• biological control methods are aimed at attracting natural enemies of caterpillars, primarily birds. To do this, comfortable conditions for their nesting are created in the gardens (birdhouses, nest boxes, feeders) and, if their numbers are small, the caterpillars are completely destroyed.
• chemical control methods with caterpillars are considered the most effective, but they cause addiction in caterpillars, so poisonous drugs (biological and chemical) should be alternated. Rovikurt, Karbofos, Lepidocide, Kilzar, and Karate are considered to be excellent products.

If the invasion of caterpillars is not significantly threatening, you can try decoctions and infusions of plants as a control: black henbane (against the cabbage caterpillar), hemlock (against all leaf-eating caterpillars), as well as red elderberry and peppermint.

• Entomophagy, or the eating of insects, has flourished since prehistoric times. Caterpillars of more than 80 genera of butterflies occupy a place of honor on gourmet menus. Caterpillars are eaten raw or fried, dried on hot coals, boiled, salted, and added to omelettes and sauces.
• The silkworm has a huge economic importance for a number of silk producing countries. Indeed, from 100 kg of cocoons it is possible to isolate 9 kg of silk thread.
• The coloring of any caterpillar to one degree or another imitates environmental conditions and is the best means of camouflage and protection.

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