Caterpillars

Lepidoptera

Appearance

• Their size varies from 1 mm to about 8 cm.
• Usually caterpillars have tubular, segmented bodies.
• Often cryptically coloured to resemble the plants on which they feed.
• Many have developed urticating hairs - bristles connected to venom glands; the effect on humans ranges from mild irritation to dermatitis.

Lifecycle

• Caterpillars eat their way through the shell (sometimes they eat the whole shell to provide energy).
• Then they start to feed voraciously and grow through a series of moults (usually 4-6); each stage is called an instar.
• Finally, they usually construct a protective cocoon to pupate in.
• Some caterpillars spin leaves to form a cocoon or create 'chambers' from bark and wood.

Habits

• Very voracious.
• Most caterpillars are herbivorous, a few feed on detritus. Predatory ones consume eggs of other insects, aphids, scale insects, or ant larvae.
• They are mostly nocturnal.