Most caterpillars are safe to handle, but some have irritating hairs or even dangerous toxins, which can causes rashes or even more severe injury. Gloves should be used, and the skin protected. The good, the bad and the ugly We…
There are around 17,500 species of butterfly in the world and 160,000 species of moth. This means most caterpillars will turn into moths, though many still turn into butterflies. Sometimes the larvae of sawflies are also called caterpillars. Monarch butterfly…
Caterpillars do have legs, though the number varies between species. Their legs can be divided into two groups, true legs and prolegs. True legs are segmented legs and always come in three pairs, whilst prolegs are unsegmented and vary between…
Caterpillars turn into butterflies or moths through a process called metamorphosis. Hatching from an egg, they feed and grow, till they turn into a pupa or chrysalis. Once ready they will emerge again, as an adult. How does a caterpillar…
Many caterpillars do not need to consume water by drinking it as a separate liquid from their food. Instead, they absorb it through their food, which for most species is plant matter. Some caterpillars with drier diets so drink, mostly…
Caterpillars are insects, but they are not a type of bug. They fall into the insect category because they have an exoskeleton, three sets of true legs, a set of antenna and a segmented body with three main parts. What…
