Caterpillars of which butterflies are 7 cm long. Little known facts about caterpillars

The life cycle of some insect species can last 15 years. As for extreme temperatures, then in the world there are such individuals who feel quite comfortable at a temperature of 70 degrees below zero

Every child knows that a caterpillar is nothing but a butterfly larva. Almost all caterpillars feed on plants, that is, leaves, flowers, and sometimes fruits. But there are other varieties of these insects that do not eat leaves with flowers at all, but, for example, wool, wax, horn substances, and so on. Predatory caterpillars are also found in nature, they feed mainly on insects such as aphids, ant larvae and pupae. They do not disdain to feast on their brothers. It is known that immediately after birth, the caterpillar eats the shell of its egg, and then all the eggs encountered on the way.

The eyes of this insect are located on the sides of the head. In addition, the organs of vision are located in close proximity to the mouth of the caterpillar, and they are arranged in the form of an arc consisting of 5 simple eyes with one in the middle of the arc. Did you know that an ordinary caterpillar can easily compete with the strongest athlete, because there are about 4000 muscles on its body, and as you know, a person has only 629 of them. Unlike human muscles, the muscles of caterpillars make up the skeletal structure of their body. They are like small balls of air, through which blood circulates through the interweaving of muscles.

From the moment of its birth, the caterpillar is only engaged in the fact that it is intensively gaining weight, eating everything in a row. Thus, after 56 days, it can grow tenfold. And the caterpillar, like a spider, can make a silk web. Only now the silk-secreting steam gland is located in her lower lip. This kind of saliva, being released and in contact with oxygen, turns into a silk thread. Then the caterpillar can use it to glue the foliage in order to arrange a cocoon or protection. For the production of silk for many centuries, people have been collecting cocoons of the silkworm caterpillar. Just imagine that the shell of such a cocoon consists of an uninterrupted silk thread, reaching 900 m in length, and sometimes its length can reach 1500 m.

Some caterpillars are famous for their endurance. They may hibernate in order to wait out the winter. The life cycle of some insect species can last 15 years. As for extreme temperatures, there are individuals in the world that feel quite comfortable at temperatures of 70 degrees below zero, and some species of caterpillars have gone even further: they have learned to deceive ants by impersonating their uterus. With the help of such a trick, they calmly go through hard times in a warm and cozy anthill, while the ants feed and protect them.

Moreover, there are caterpillars in the world that can save humans and animals from death. She-bear caterpillars feed on the toxic plant and become poisonous themselves. They love this plant so much that in some countries they are specially bred to fight this life-threatening plant.

Many of them are ready 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 best to stay away.

Caterpillars (photo)

Caterpillar-coquette looks like? like a miniature furry animal. However, as soon as you touch it, an unpleasant surprise awaits you.

Poisonous spikes hidden under her "fur" release poison, causing severe throbbing pain. , which can give 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 involvement, sometimes shock or shortness of breath.

The pain usually subsides after an hour, and the spots disappear after a few days. However, when hit a large number poison, symptoms can last up to 5 days.

2. Saddle caterpillar (Sibine stimulea)

The saddle caterpillar attracts attention with its bright coloration, and believe me, you better stay away from it. Its fleshy horns are covered with hairs that secrete poison.

Touching them will cause bee sting-like pain, swelling, nausea, and rash which will last for several days.

Types of caterpillars

3. Caterpillar "burning rose" (Parasa indetermina)

The caterpillar "burning rose" reaches a length of only 2.5 cm and is distinguished by bright colors. But besides her yellow and red spots, her prickly tubercles protruding from different sides attract the most attention.

The tips on these bumps, as you might guess, release poison. If you touch one of them, the ends will break off and you will have skin irritation.

Euclea delphinii)

This caterpillar is not as dangerous to humans, although touching it will still lead to rashes. 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 cross bear (Tyria jacobaeae)

Some caterpillars acquire toxicity through the plants they eat. And this also applies to the caterpillars of the bear cross, which feed on the poisonous crosswort.

They eat so much of this plant that in New Zealand, Australia and North America they are used to control the growth of the ragwort. This plant is deadly to cattle and horses, and poses a health hazard to humans.

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

Caterpillars crawl (video)

6. Caterpillars of the marching silkworm (Thaumetopoea pityocampa)

Caterpillars of the marching silkworm live in groups in large silk nests high in the pines.

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 that cause severe skin irritation when touched.

7. Caterpillar "hiding in a bag" (Ochrogaster lunifer)

Just like the caterpillars of the marching silkworm, these representatives live in groups in a silk bag, getting out at night and following each other in search of food. However, the danger from them is greater.

IN South America they pose a threat to health. The poison that is in their bristles is powerful anticoagulant. This means that if you inadvertently touch them, you risk bleeding from a small cut or internal bleeding.

8. Caterpillar Saturnia io (Automeris io)

This caterpillar lives in Canada and the USA, and although it looks like a charming baby with green spiked pom-poms, remember that they are only to be admired.

As tiny as their thorns may seem, the poison they contain can cause painful itching and even dermatitis.

9. Witch moth caterpillar (Phobetron pithecium)

If it seemed to you that 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 have varying susceptibility to these caterpillars, and in some people 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 that cover their body are fairly harmless, however they do have four long black hairs on the front and back that should be avoided.

Touching them leads to rashes and more serious health problems, in case of hair getting into the eyes. In addition, they are also bite.

poisonous caterpillars

11. Lazy Clown Caterpillar (Lonomia obliqua)

This caterpillar of the peacock-eye butterfly can safely be called a killer caterpillar. Her thorns are filled with coagulant poison - anticoagulant which can lead to the death of a person.

Light touching of these caterpillars can lead to headaches, 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 itching reaction in some people.

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

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 also lead to nausea.

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

Orgyia leucostigma)

This caterpillar is easy to spot because of the red head, black back and yellow stripes on the sides. Except 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 not be in trouble.

15. Carnivorous caterpillars

While these caterpillars won't kill you, they do eat other insects, which is pretty unusual for a typical vegetarian caterpillar menu.

And remember, if the caterpillar has thorns or hairs, it is better not to touch it, as most likely it can be poisonous!

Caterpillars can be great and easy to care for pets for all adults and children. Apart from the fact that they need to be given enough food, caterpillars require little. And the best thing is the opportunity to watch how these creatures wrap themselves in a cocoon or become a chrysalis, and after a few days or weeks magically turn into butterflies or moths. What could be better than this? Read on to learn how to properly care for a caterpillar and transform it into a butterfly.

Steps

Where to find caterpillars

Choose the right time of the year. Most better time for hunting caterpillars, it is spring and summer, since most butterflies lay their eggs at this time. However, some individuals (particularly hairy caterpillars) appear in autumn. Winter is the only time of the year when it is impossible to find caterpillars.

In the wild, the survival rate of caterpillars is about 2%; this means that out of every hundred eggs laid by a butterfly, only two will survive to an adult. This is due to a large number predators whose food is caterpillars. Thus, by adopting a caterpillar as a pet, you give it a much greater chance of survival.
Be aware that autumn caterpillars are more likely to chrysalis all winter, so you will have to wait much longer for a butterfly to appear than spring or summer caterpillars, which can take 2-3 weeks.

Look for caterpillars on plants. The best place The search for caterpillars are their favorite plants, as caterpillars usually stay close to their food source. If you're not picky about the kind of caterpillar you want to take care of, you can check the leaves of any plant in your garden or park. However, if you are looking for specific caterpillars/butterflies/moths, then you will need to target specific plant species. Here are some of the more common ones:

Order specific types of caterpillars online. If you need a particular type of caterpillar/butterfly and can't find it yourself, there is always the option of ordering from a specialized supplier online.

Take care of the caterpillars. When you find a caterpillar, it is very important to handle it correctly. If you try to grab the caterpillar, it can catch on the surface it is on with great force, and if you pull, you can damage the caterpillar or even tear off its legs.

Where and how to place caterpillars
1. Keep your caterpillar in a suitable container. Caterpillars don't need anything fancy to place them on - a 5 liter jar or aquarium is ideal. The jar or aquarium is easy to clean, and the caterpillar will be clearly visible through the walls.
  - Cover the container with gauze or mesh and secure with a rubber band for proper ventilation. Do not pierce holes in a screw cap as some sites suggest, as caterpillars may attempt to escape through these holes and injure themselves on the sharp edges.
  - If you're hosting more than one caterpillar, make sure each caterpillar has room for three times its body size to move around comfortably. This is how you avoid overcrowding.
2. Line the bottom of the container with a paper towel or soil. It's a good idea to line the bottom of the container with paper, as it will absorb excess moisture and also collect caterpillar excrement. You can easily clean the tracked container by throwing away one paper and laying down another.
  
  Place a couple of sticks in the container. This is a good idea for a number of reasons:
  - First, the caterpillars will have something to climb on, which they may need to get to the food.
  - Secondly, the caterpillar may want to pupate while hanging from a branch. That is, you must check that the stick is held securely and will not fall.
  - Thirdly, when a butterfly hatches from a chrysalis, it needs to hang upside down on something in order to spread and dry its wings.
3. Keep the container moist. Most caterpillars prefer somewhat moist environment. The best way to achieve this - periodically spray the container with a spray bottle.
How to feed caterpillars
1. If you don't know the host plant, experiment with different kinds of leaves. Caterpillars are very selective in their food, and each species has a limited number of plants that they feed on. In fact, most caterpillars will starve to death if given the wrong food. So if your caterpillar refuses the leaves of the plant you found it on, or if you find a caterpillar not on a plant, you will have to figure out its host plant through trial and error.
  
  Leaves must be fresh. Caterpillars will not eat old or dried leaves, so it is important to provide them with fresh green leaves all the time. The frequency of leaves will depend on the plant, some may last a week, others need to be renewed daily.
  
  Don't worry about giving the caterpillar water. Caterpillars do not need to drink; they get all the water they need from food.
  - However, if the caterpillar looks a bit desiccated, you need to increase the humidity in the container, try rinsing the leaves with water and placing them in the container without drying them out.
  - Drops of water on the leaves will provide the necessary moisture.
The transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly
1. Don't worry if your caterpillar stops eating or becomes sluggish. Don't worry too much if the caterpillar suddenly stops eating, becomes sluggish, or starts to change color - this may be in preparation for pupation, so this is completely normal behavior.
  
  Make sure the chrysalis is hanging off the ground. When the caterpillar is ready, it will pupate, thereby beginning the process of turning into a butterfly. Many moth caterpillars burrow into the ground to make a cocoon, while common butterfly caterpillars turn into a chrysalis hanging above the ground.
  
  Clean the container and keep it moist. When the chrysalis is formed, you need to clean the container, removing food and waste. Even though the chrysalis is alive, it does not require food or water.
  
  Wait for the chrysalis to darken or brighten. Now you just have to wait! Some butterflies and moths appear in as little as eight days, while others may take several months or even years.

Some consider caterpillars to be extremely cute tiny creatures, while others are terrified of them. However, few people know how amazing and beautiful the world of caterpillars really is.

These larvae go through one of the most incredible transformations in the wild, communicating with the most unexpected body parts and exuding nicotine fumes!

In our list you will also find details about how caterpillars manage to subdue ants, move in space and see the larva, which is copied by Donald Trump himself (Donald Trump, 45th President of the United States).

10. Portable body armor

More recently, in Peru, scientists have discovered a new species of caterpillars, which they called hermit crabs for their habits, very reminiscent of the behavior of these arthropod creatures. Previously, no one had ever seen simple caterpillars behave this way. The new kind has a habit of making himself peculiar protective suit, resembling a portable cage or body armor. The reinforcement is twisted straight from the leaves, which this creature has learned to roll into a tiny roll. The caterpillar climbs into its cocoon of leaves and moves through the forest with the help of its mouth and forelimbs, dragging its protective suit everywhere with it. While the larva is getting its own food, its body remains under the protection of a leaf cocoon. The smart creature even provided a special recess in the center of its body armor, which allows it to quickly turn around inside this protective structure, if the caterpillar suddenly needs to urgently get out of the twisted sheet through the “back door”.

9. Amazing camouflage

Caterpillars resort to all kinds of disguise to protect their soft bodies from animals and insects that are not averse to feasting on these little creatures. Some caterpillars look like bird droppings, others have got bright spots that look just like snake eyes, and there are also larvae that have learned to imitate their poisonous relatives, which is why predators prefer to bypass them.

However, among all this soft-bodied fraternity, there is one type of caterpillars that has absolutely unique abilities. The larvae of the moth species Synchlora aerata disguise itself in a rather ingenious way - for camouflage, it uses pieces of petals and other parts of the plants that it feeds on. With leaves, this caterpillar decorates its back with sticky saliva, and when its colorful costume decays, the animal tears off the old disguise and starts all over again.

8. Jumping caterpillar

In the forests of South Vietnam, to start the pupation process, the caterpillars wrap themselves in leaves, like in a sleeping bag. And a species called Calindoea trifascialis even learned to jump on the ground right in such a leafy cocoon, and he does this to hide from sun rays. To jump, this larva rests its ventral pairs of legs against the bottom of its "sleeping bag" and pushes itself back, jumping in the opposite direction from its head.

The caterpillar can jump like this for almost 3 days, until it finds a suitable place for itself to transcend to the final transformation into a butterfly. When Professor Chris Darling began studying these small yellow larvae in 1998, he and his students noticed that the jumping creature was secreting a strange fluid. Not every sane person would have guessed to lick such a caterpillar, but Chris did it! He did not feel any special taste, but soon his tongue became numb, which, according to the professor, was the result of the defense system of the larva, which used its chemical weapons against him.

In the laboratory, the scientist found out what kind of liquid he licked, and it turned out to be an unpleasantly smelling mixture of hydrocarbons and hydrocyanic acid produced by the body of an insect. The smell of this poisonous liquid fills the caterpillar's homemade cocoon and repels ants and other voracious predators that would otherwise sink their teeth into the larva's protein-rich body.

7. Caterpillar with a hat

And this larva is the future moth of the species Uraba lugens, but before its legendary phase of reincarnation into a winged creature, it lives for at least amazing life. On her head, it is easy to notice a process in the form of an eccentric horn. Such a strange part of the caterpillar's body is actually a "hat" from its old head capsules, which it throws off during each new molt. Each time the caterpillar sheds its old skin, it shifts its old head shell to the very top of the new and now larger head, thus creating a new level of amazing crown over and over again.

During its life, the Uraba lugens larva molts about 13 times before the final pupation, so sometimes a real tower of old body parts can line up on the head of such a caterpillar, which can be even larger than the larva itself. Why exactly she does this is still unknown, but for some time the researchers assumed that the unique headdress of this creature is a kind of security system. Perhaps the horn distracts the predators, and they attack the empty head capsules, and the real caterpillar just manages to escape at this time.

Such a theory sounded quite plausible for some time, until scientists conducted a series of experiments that showed that both caterpillars without hats and larvae with horns that fell into a petri dish along with insects that feed on them coped with the task of self-defense in almost the same way. They probably just like collecting their own heads...

6. Musical maestro in the world of insects

It turns out that there is a species of caterpillar that has developed a highly organized method of communication. For example, some larvae have learned to talk to each other using the back of their bodies. Scientists from Carlton University (Canada) found that birch silkworm caterpillars have special anal processes that they use to scrape the leaves to signal their relatives.

This is not the only way of communication that these larvae practice. Birch silkworms have also learned to shake their bodies and drum their mouthparts (mandibles) on the surface of the leaf, whereby they produce a range of different sounds and signals to other caterpillars in their community. As soon as one caterpillar begins to scratch and shake the leaves, its other brethren perceive this as a signal for a general gathering and crawl in the direction of the signal until they all gather together in one common group.

Researchers have not yet figured out what each type of signal means separately, and some of the scientists even believe that these caterpillars do not actually communicate with each other. But evolutionary biologist Jayne Yack has a different opinion: "I've been studying insect sounds for over 30 years, and I've never seen an insect make so many different signals." Probably caterpillars use all these sounds and vibrations to form social groups.

5. Toxic nicotine breath

One of the favorite snacks of the tobacco hawk caterpillar is extremely toxic tobacco leaves. This plant contains a poisonous substance (nicotine), which it uses as a defense against herbivores, otherwise the animals would have destroyed this species long ago. But the tobacco hawk moth not only regales itself with these toxic and even fatal leaves for some animals, but also learned to use tobacco as a personal weapon against other predators. The caterpillar redirects nicotine from its digestive system into the hemolymph (analogous to blood flow in the world of insects). The hawk larva then opens small pores in its skin (spiracles) and emits toxic fumes from them. Biologists have called this process protective halitosis (the medical term for halitosis). When poisonous fumes are directed at predators such as wolf spiders, they save the caterpillar from attack and become someone's tidbit.

4 Hawaiian Carnivorous Caterpillars

Carnivorous caterpillars live in the Hawaiian Islands, which lie in their shelters all day long and wait for an unsuspecting victim to treat themselves to its meat. For example, caterpillars of the species Hyposmocoma molluscivora will not eat plant foods, even when they are dying of hunger. This small larva grows to only 8 millimeters in length, but despite its tiny size, it manages to eat whole snakes alive, attacking them from its secluded ambush. So that the snake does not escape its fate, Hyposmocoma molluscivora chains its prey to the leaves with a silk thread, just like spiders spinning a real cocoon of cobwebs around small insects. Then the caterpillar climbs into a silk trap with a captive snake and slowly eats the victim right alive, leaving only an empty snake shell as a result.

Hyposmocoma molluscivora is the only snake-eating caterpillar, but its uniqueness doesn't end there. It turns out that this larva is so far the only full-fledged amphibian known of its kind. She is able to survive both on land and under water, although researchers still do not understand exactly how she manages to breathe in aquatic environment. Daniel Rubinoff, a professor at the University of Hawaii, believes that this caterpillar has a special respiratory organ that scientists have not yet noticed, or that it breathes through skin pores adapted to process oxygen underwater.

Another species of carnivorous caterpillar lives in Hawaii, and these are the larvae of flower moths (Eupithecia), looking just like a small clawed hand, waiting for its chance to pounce on an unsuspecting victim. These masters of camouflage stretch their bodies along the leaves, pretending to be harmless stems, and freeze before the unfortunate victim approaches them. But when its turn comes, in the blink of an eye, the flower moth closes its body and grabs the surprised prey with its clawed legs.

These are just 2 examples of as many as 18 species of carnivorous caterpillars that live in the Hawaiian Islands. wild nature in this region is truly amazing!

3. Caterpillars-lords and slave owners

The caterpillar of the Japanese blue butterfly Arhopala amantes has an incredible and almost sinister security system against spiders, wasps and other predatory insects from its range. These larvae have learned to take innocent ants into real slavery, forcing them to become their militant bodyguards. They succeed with the help chemical, which the caterpillars secrete as sugar droplets through their skin onto the surface of the grass. Ants are attracted by the sweet smell of this liquid, and once they taste it, they never return to their native anthill, forget about food and do not dare to leave their new mistress, the sinister caterpillar master Arhopala amantes.

The larva of this butterfly has even learned to give attack orders - when it unfolds its small antennae, its subordinate ants become especially aggressive and attack any insect approaching them. Professor of Kobe University (Kobe University, Japan), Masuru Hojo (Masuru Hojo), believes that the glandular cells in the area of the antennae of the caterpillar secrete a special chemical, which is perceived by enslaved ants as a signal to attack strangers. “It is possible that both visual and chemical signals stimulate ant aggression,” Hojo suggests. Ants that have not tasted the caterpillar's sweet secretions do not react in any way to the waving of its antennae. The Japanese professor is inclined to believe that the power of the larvae of the Arhopala amantes species depends entirely on their secret chemical weapons, with which they manipulate the ants who have tasted their "potion".

2. Floating entrails and soft-bodied robots

You must have noticed how unusual caterpillars move. In motion, they resemble tiny waves. However, what happens inside them during this bizarre crawl deserves a separate discussion. Did you know, for example, that the offal of a larva is one step ahead of the rest of its body parts? Biologists at Tufts University of Arts and Sciences came to this conclusion when they took x-rays of the tobacco hawk caterpillar to better understand how they move.

Taking an X-ray of a crawling caterpillar is a rather difficult task, if only because these creatures do not have bones. That's why biologist Michael Simon and his team placed the test specimens on a tiny homemade caterpillar treadmill and illuminated their insides with a special particle accelerator from the Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois. The researchers found that internal organs caterpillars move independently of her outer shell and even outstrip her limbs. “The movement of internal tissues caused by general locomotion (scientific term, movement from place to place) is noted in many organisms, but it seems that caterpillars move using a two-part system that includes an outer shell and enclosed insides. Such a mechanism explains the amazing freedom of movement of these soft-bodied sliders,” says Michael Simon, the first author of a study on this topic, who published his work in the British scientific journal current biology. The unique form of caterpillar locomotion was called "visceral locomotive pistoning" (visceral or internal locomotive piston).

It may seem strange to you why it was so important for scientists to know what happens to the insides of butterfly larvae as they move from place to place. It turns out that research on the crawling mechanism of caterpillars can be very useful for the development of soft-body robots, which can later become very popular in the transport industry. In July 2010, Professor Simon explained to LiveScience that "one of the main advantages of a soft-shell robot is its ability to move delicate loads such as electronic devices, fragile instruments and chemicals." A rigid-framed robot has a hard shell, while a soft-bodied transport vehicle can be deformed in all directions without damaging its contents.

Referring to the research of their team, who studied the amazing propulsion system caterpillars, Michael Simon reminded us all that "the world is still full of opportunities for new discoveries, even in the most simple and mundane things and places."

1. Caterpillar Soup and Imaginal Discs

We all know that caterpillars weave cocoons to protect their chrysalis from exposure. outside world while she goes through the miraculous process of becoming a butterfly or a moth. The pupa is essentially a hardened shell, inside which the caterpillar is preparing for the most important changes in its life. Initially, this shell grows directly under top layer skin of the larva. When this outer skin falls off, a chrysalis (chrysalis) is born. At first, this chrysalis is quite soft to the touch, but then it hardens to protect the larva while it is in the process of pupation. And from this moment the most interesting and unusual begins: once in a fairly solid protective cocoon, the caterpillar secretes special digestive enzymes that destroy its body to the state of a real soup. The larva literally dissolves and digests itself, but some of its vital tissues remain intact. They are called imaginal discs.

What is it all about, you ask? To answer this question, we will have to go back to the very beginning - to the time when the caterpillar was still a small egg. As it develops, the unhatched larva grows special clusters of cells inside its body (those same imaginal discs). Each such disk represents a different part of the body, into which it will eventually turn when the caterpillar becomes a butterfly or a moth. Each wing, eye, antennae and leg has its own imaginal disk.

When the pupated caterpillar digested and turned most of their body into a liquid soup of organs, leaving only their imaginal discs to float in this mixture, these clusters of cells use the liquid medium surrounding them as a feed for the rapid formation of the organs of a future adult butterfly or moth. The whole process of transformation from the stage of egg, larva to the appearance of an adult is called holometabolism.

It would seem, after all that has been described, what even more extraordinary can happen in the life of these creatures? Recently, however, researchers have found that at least some species of moth retain memories of laboratory experiments in which they took part as caterpillars.

So the evolutionary ecologist Martha Weiss placed the larva of the tobacco hawk hawk in a small tube in the shape of the letter "Y". One of the sections of this tube led towards the area smelling of ethyl acetate (strong smell), and the other to clean air. Caterpillars that chose to move that smelled of ethyl acetate were given an electric shock, after which 78% of them chose to continue to avoid the area with the smell of this chemical. A month later, when the caterpillars turned into adult moths, they were faced with exactly the same choice. 77% of the moles confidently avoided pipes that smelled of ethyl acetate. According to Martha Weiss, this proves that during the most significant restructuring of the organism, which is the transition from the pupa to the adult stage, these animals somehow retain the parts of the brain responsible for the memories of the caterpillar.

Bonus! Most creepy nightmare each caterpillar

Bonus-2! Caterpillar-Trump

This funny bunch of yellow hairs is a caterpillar of a butterfly of the megalopygid family. Recently, playful researchers who discovered this caterpillar in the Amazonian forests of Peru began to call the shaggy creature "Trumpapillar" (Trumpapillar) for its striking hairstyle. american president Donald Trump. These caterpillars actually come in quite a variety of colors, including white, pink, and red.

The hairs covering the body of the larva are very similar in their properties to the fur of a tarantula. In addition, they are covered with tiny venomous spines, contact with which causes an excruciating rash. This self-protection mechanism has proven so effective that it may even serve as a good example Batesian mimicry in the case of the chicks of the Amazonian bird, gray aulia. Her babies look almost identical to this toxic caterpillar, which serves them well when it comes to camouflage from the carnivorous inhabitants of the Amazon.

When aulia chicks feel danger, they even begin to move, like megalopygid larvae, so that the predator (local snakes and monkeys) is afraid of an unwanted collision with a poisonous trampapillar larva.

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