Structure
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| 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 mouthparts 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. The overall shape of the head is usually heart-shaped.
- semiprognathic- occupies an intermediate position between the first two types, typical 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. The frontal surface 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 the inner edge there are sometimes tubercles used for chewing food. Mandibles(maxilla) and lower lip (labium) are fused, like in many other insects with complete transformation, into a single labio-maxillary complex. The salivary glands are modified into silk glands.
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 chest legs(a pair on each of the chest segments) and five pairs of false abdominal legs on the III-VI and X abdominal segments. The abdominal legs bear small hooks located in different groups Lepidoptera in different ways - 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 movement 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. The Latin name for the moth family is 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 segments of the body (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 hawk moths, 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 terms 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 carrying case. Caterpillars of ermine moths and some corydalis build silk 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
Opodiphthera eucalypti.
Schizura concinna.
Malacosoma disstria
Malacosoma californicum
Monarch butterfly caterpillar ( Danaus plexippus) on leaves of Asclepias incarnata in a Lancaster, Pennsylvania garden.
Hebomoia glaucippe, resembling a green snake Ahaetulla nasuta.
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, 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 only be unwound by 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 cactus moth, specially brought to Australia in 1925 from Uruguay and the northern regions of Argentina ( 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
- Large encyclopedic dictionary "Biology". - ed. M. S. Gilyarova, M.: Great Russian Encyclopedia, 1998. ISBN 5-85270-252-8
- Vasmer M. Etymological dictionary of the Russian language. - Progress. - M., 1964–1973. - T. 1. - P. 477.
- Boryś W. Słownik etymologiczny języka polskiego. - Wydawnictwo Literackie. - Kraków, 2005. - P. 158. - ISBN 978-83-08-04191-8
- Gerasimov A. M. Caterpillars. - 2nd. - Moscow, Leningrad: Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences, 1952. - T. 1. - (Fauna of the USSR).
- 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
- Gerasimov A. M. Fauna of the USSR. Volume 56. Lepidoptera insects. Caterpillars. - M.: Publishing house of the USSR Academy of Sciences, 1952.
- 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.
- Physiology of insects R. Chauvin 1953
- Key to freshwater invertebrates of Russia. T. 5. St. Petersburg. , 2001, p. 74-78.
- 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.
- Belokobylsky S. A., Tobias V. I. 2007. Sem. Braconidae - Braconids. 9. Subfamily Alysiinae. Group of genera close to Aspilota // In the book: Key to insects Far East Russia. Reticuloptera, Scorpioptera, Hymenoptera. - Vladivostok: Dalnauka. T. 4, part 5. P. 9-133.
- 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.
The caterpillar is the larva of an insect belonging to the order Lepidoptera - butterflies, moths, moths.
Structure and photo of caterpillars - varieties
The body length of the caterpillar, depending on the variety, can be from a few millimeters to 12 cm. It consists of a body, head, eyes, oral apparatus and limbs. On the body, the thoracic and abdominal sections are clearly visible, and on them there are several pairs of legs.
The caterpillar's body consists of segments separated by narrow grooves. The anus is located on the body, and there is a spiracle on the chest.
Most species of caterpillars have three pairs of legs on their chest, each of which has a sole and a claw - while moving, the caterpillar retracts and releases its claws, and five pairs of false abdominal limbs, at the ends of which there are small hooks.
The body is “dressed” in a soft shell, covered, depending on the variety, with outgrowths, hairs or relief formations - cuticles in the form of stars, spines or granules, and the hairs of caterpillars grow individually or in bunches. During their life, caterpillars molt several times.
The head consists of six fused parts that form a capsule. At the bottom of the head there is an occipital foramen, shaped like a heart, and in some species of caterpillars its parietal parts protrude and form “horns”. Antennae grow on the sides of the head.
Caterpillars have 5-6 pairs of eyes - several simple eyes, each of which consists of one lens, arranged in an arc one behind the other or connected into one complex eye of five simple ones.
The caterpillar's mouth is a gnawing apparatus, the upper jaw is powerful - there are teeth with which the insect gnaws or tears food.
Inside the oral apparatus there are tubercles with which the caterpillar chews food, and the glands that produce saliva are a kind of spinning machine - this is how the silkworm caterpillar releases the thread.
Life cycle
Different types of caterpillars live from several weeks to several years. For example, the larvae of butterflies living in the north do not have time to develop during the short summer season; they hibernate until the next one - the horned butterfly, whose habitat is the Arctic, exists as a caterpillar for an average of 13 years.
During the life cycle, amazing metamorphoses occur with caterpillars - from an increase in size and a change in color to the transformation from an individual with bare skin to a furry one and vice versa.
When the life cycle comes to an end, the caterpillars pupate, then butterflies hatch from the pupae.
Habitat
For most species of caterpillars, the habitat is the surface of the earth, some species live in water, for example, caterpillars of broad-winged moths, and the larvae of the Hawaiian moth can exist both in air environment, and under water.
According to the conditions of existence, these insect larvae are divided into two categories - hiding and leading a lifestyle in plain sight.
The hidden ones are represented by:
- leaf rollers - these caterpillars live on trees, existing in twisted leaves;
- frugivores - live in fruits and vegetables;
- by drillers - the habitat of tree trunks and roots;
- miners - the habitat is foliage, branches, fruit and vegetable peels, plant buds - caterpillars make passages;
- gall formers - they cause damage to plant tissues and the appearance of new growths on them;
- living underground;
- aquatic – the habitat is bodies of water.
Leading a free lifestyle, they openly exist on plants; these are mainly caterpillars of large varieties of butterflies.
Nutrition of different types of caterpillars
Once the caterpillar has hatched from the egg, it eats its shell. Then, throughout their lives, most species of caterpillars feed on greens and fruits.
According to their feeding method, caterpillars are divided into four types:
- polyphages - eat any plants;
- oligophages - they eat plants of any one species, for example, swallowtail caterpillars feed only on umbrella plants;
- monophagous - feed exclusively on one plant species, for example, silkworm larvae eat only mulberry foliage
- xylophages - feed on wood.
Moth caterpillars feed on lichens; some species even eat poisonous ergot.
There are species that devour food of animal origin - exfoliated particles of skin, hair, wool, for example, the larvae of house moths that settle in wardrobes.
And the caterpillars of fire butterflies eat only honey and wax.
There are also predator caterpillars, such as the larvae of the bear butterfly and cotton bollworm - they attack weak relatives and eat them.
And the food for the caterpillars of raspberry, sun and fireweed moths are mealybugs - small insects 3-6 mm in size. Caterpillars of bluegills feed on aphids, while moths feed only on insects.
There are varieties that exist together with ants, for example, blueberry caterpillars. They live in anthills and chemically keep the ants under control - they secrete a specific sweet liquid, and even make sounds to attract them.
Caterpillars and man
Most types of caterpillars are safe for humans. But there are also poisonous species. Accidental touching of them causes redness and swelling on human skin, and a rash may appear.
The secretions of some caterpillars cause drowsiness in humans, headaches, increased temperature and blood pressure, and gastrointestinal upset.
Therefore, no matter how tempting it may be to touch a beautiful caterpillar without understanding their varieties, you should not do this. Poisonous species include, for example, coquette caterpillars, oak slug larvae, and the “lazy clown.”
Of the most useful to people The most famous is the silk caterpillar, it is also called the silkworm. Its habitat is the northeastern regions of Russia and China, the southern territories of Primorye. Its body length is about 7 cm, it is covered with hairy warts of blue and brown colors, and at the end of the development cycle, this caterpillar turns yellow.
Its food is mulberry foliage. Since the 27th century BC, these caterpillars have been used in sericulture - 9 kg of silk thread is obtained from 100 kg of cocoons.
But there are also species that, while not dangerous to human health, cause harm to him by eating agricultural crops.
Control of caterpillar pests
There are three groups of ways to combat caterpillars that devour crops of vegetables, fruits and fruits.
Mechanical method - when caterpillars are collected manually, their overwintering clutches are cut off.
One of the most effective methods is to catch them using adhesive-coated belts or traps filled with bait liquid.
Biological method - when on agricultural fields and in orchards attract birds that eat the caterpillars by arranging feeders and birdhouses for the birds.
Caterpillar snake
The chemical method is the most effective, but after some time the caterpillars get used to the composition of the drugs and stop dying, so chemical method alternate with biological.
In dacha conditions, to combat the invasion of caterpillars, infusions of herbs are used - black henbane (it works well against the caterpillars of the ubiquitous cabbage butterfly), hemlock (it is effective against caterpillars attacking fruit trees), peppermint, and elderberry.
In some countries, caterpillars are considered a gastronomic delicacy; gourmets eat caterpillars of about 80 species of butterflies.
They are eaten raw and fried, dried on hot coals, boiled, salted, cooked with them, an omelet is prepared with them, and the caterpillars are used as a base for various sauces.
The color of the caterpillar imitates the colors of the surrounding nature of its habitat - in this way the caterpillars camouflage themselves from their enemies.
The smallest caterpillars on the planet are moth caterpillars different types. For example, in a clothes moth, the length of a newly hatched larva is 1 mm.
And the longest caterpillar is the Indian peacock butterfly. These are blue-green caterpillars, it seems that their bodies are covered with dust white, they reach 12 cm.
Like any other living creature, the caterpillar takes its place in the planet’s ecosystem and plays an important role in it.
Photo of caterpillar
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.
Every child knows that a caterpillar is nothing more than 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, horny 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 hesitate to feast on their fellow creatures. It is known that immediately after birth, the caterpillar eats the shell of its egg, and then all the eggs it encounters along 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 caterpillar’s mouth, and they are located 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 its body has about 4000 muscles, while humans, as we know, have only 629 of them. Unlike human ones, 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 intertwining muscles.
From the moment it is born, the caterpillar does nothing but gain weight, eating everything in a row. Thus, after 56 days it can grow tens of times. And the caterpillar, like a spider, can make a silk web. Only the paired silk gland is located in her area lower lip. This peculiar saliva, released and in contact with oxygen, turns into a silk thread. Then the caterpillar can use it to glue leaves together to create a cocoon or protection. For many centuries, people have been collecting cocoons of the silkworm caterpillar to produce silk. Just imagine that the shell of such a cocoon consists of an unbroken 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, posing as their queen. Using this trick, they calmly go through difficult 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. The damselfish caterpillar feeds on the toxic plant and becomes poisonous themselves. They love this plant so much that in some countries they are specially bred to combat this life-threatening plant.
We offer you 12 interesting facts about insects that will be of interest to children:
1.All insects have common features: six legs, antennae and wings. Their body seems to be divided into parts by thin lines - notches. Hence the name – “insects”.
2. The ladybug is of great benefit: it destroys many plant pests - aphids. The ladybug is cunning - she can pretend to be dead if you put her on your palm. At the first danger, a ladybug secretes a yellow liquid - even if a bird once grabs a ladybug, it will understand that this bug is not tasty, will remember its color and will not touch it again.
3.Why do they say that the grasshopper plays the violin? The fact is that there are special notches on its wings. He rubs them quickly, quickly, against each other, as if moving a bow across a violin, and a chirping sound is heard. Let the baby take a good look at the grasshopper (what color it is, does it have antennae and eyes), and at the same time think about why it needs such long hind legs. To jump, of course!
4. Bees, bumblebees and wasps are pollinating insects. After all, without them, flowers would never become fruits, and that means we would not be able to enjoy delicious apples.
5.Children are often afraid of stinging insects. But the one who waves his arms and screams in fear is more likely to be stung by a bee than a calm person. Because insects will not be the first to attack.
6.Ant is the strongest on earth! He can carry weights up to 10 times his own weight. If adults don’t forget to bring a magnifying glass to the dacha, with its help kids will learn a lot of interesting things about the life of these ubiquitous ants. To do this, it is enough to find a small anthill with little holes in the ground and watch it from time to time: what do the ants do, how do they treat each other, what kind of prey do they carry, how far do they run away from their home?
7.The main pest for country garden- Colorado potato beetle, which regularly “attacks” potatoes. The child needs to be told about the harm this insect causes and ask for help in fighting it. Children usually do a good job of this task, collecting bugs in a jar of water while exercising their fingers.
8. Another serious enemy of the garden is the mole cricket. This is a large insect that lives in the ground and feeds on potato tubers, carrots and young parts of plants. You can find it while digging up potatoes. The bear is sure to make a strong impression on children due to its large size and terrifying appearance. And her paws are of particular interest to little researchers. They are well suited for digging. The mole cricket does not bite. She can fly and even chirp like a cricket.
9. It’s interesting to watch the fireflies at night. The firefly flies in zigzags. Be sure to show with your hand in the air how a firefly flies. In the dark, the firefly glows with a yellowish light.
10.Bees collect nectar from which they make honey. A bee collects nectar with its proboscis. Bees have a whole set of tools on their feet. Here you will see brushes for collecting pollen, baskets for transferring pollen, and brushes that bees use to clean their eyes from pollen that has entered them. Bees, flying, buzz: “w-w-w-w-w-w-w.” Play bees with your child: repeating this sound is useful for speech development.
11. In the summer, in a village or country house, you will probably see a dragonfly. These beautiful insects hunt in the air: in flight, they keep their strong hairy legs folded in a net at the ready. Their sleepy victims end up in these “nets”. Interestingly, in just an hour, a dragonfly can eat as many as 40 house flies. If you want to make a dragonfly from plasticine, it is useful to know that its body consists of three parts: head, chest and abdomen.
12. A bumblebee flies very quickly, at the speed of an adult cyclist (18 km/h). It has a soft coat that helps keep it warm in the early morning. Bumblebees live in their “bumblebee towns” (about 200 individuals each). In the morning they are not allowed to sleep. Before dawn, a “trumpeter” appears in bumblebee nests and buzzes, rousing his fellow tribesmen to work collecting pollen. To “develop” the topic about bumblebees, you can play for your child an audio recording of “The Flight of the Bumblebee” from the opera by N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov "The Tsar's Bride". This is how bumblebees will help your child become familiar with classical music.
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Hocus Pocus: Caterpillars turn into butterflies!
Who among us in childhood was not surprised at the transformation of a nasty caterpillar into a beautiful butterfly? This transformation is akin to magic for the baby. Therefore, even if the baby’s parents have never seen this happen before, it’s time to do it now with the baby. First you need to catch a few caterpillars. It's better if they are different.
Firstly, not all caterpillars can be hatched into butterflies, and secondly, it will be interesting to compare the behavior of different insects.
Cabbage butterfly caterpillars can be found in the garden, on cabbage or radish. They are blue-green, with three yellow longitudinal stripes and black speckles. But you can’t take them with your bare hands. The caustic secretions of these caterpillars irritate the skin. The child should know about this. Matte green caterpillars of the reptile butterfly can also be found here. And if you are very lucky, you can find a swallowtail caterpillar on carrots, parsley or dill. It is large, clearly visible, green with black stripes and red specks on them. Urticaria caterpillars live where they are supposed to be based on their name - on nettles. In the same place or on raspberries you can also find caterpillars of the peacock butterfly. Caterpillars of various silkworms or apple moths gnaw leaves on fruit trees.
Future butterflies need to be collected and placed in a jar or plastic bottle with the top cut off. Plants or twigs on which the caterpillars were sitting should also be placed there, and the vessel should be covered with gauze. Green food needs to be changed every 2 days. Now you can watch your pets together with your baby: how they chew leaves, how they crawl, how they grow. After some time, the caterpillars will pupate and turn into pupae. In this state it is better not to disturb them. All you have to do is be patient and wait. Until that wonderful moment when a beautiful butterfly emerges from a motionless chrysalis.
Like butterflies, moth caterpillars have a camouflage color, the color of which depends on the type of vegetation that is the main food supply of the insect.
The thin bodies are practically naked and have no villi. ABOUT distinguished by their amazing ability to pretend to be branches, stems, cuttings and other parts of the plant, which makes them quite difficult to recognize even if you are close.
Photos of different types of land surveyors:
Freezing in a protruding position by holding a plant branch with one pair of abdominal legs, they become invisible to their immediate enemies - sparrows, tits, nightingales And other small birds. They achieve such camouflage due to highly developed muscles.
If it falls due to a strong gust of wind or danger, the insect rises along a thread, with the help of which it is attached to leaves and branches.
This is important! Main feature This family of caterpillars has a peculiar arrangement of abdominal legs. They are located on the 6th and 10th (sometimes 5th and 6th or 4th and 5th) segment of the body, which explains them unusual way movement, during which the back of the body is pulled towards the front, as if measuring the distance with spans. In fact, this is how they got their name.
The unusual loop-like bending of the body gave birth to another name for this family - they are also often called land surveyor caterpillars.
Differences between different types of land surveyors
The most common types of caterpillars in our country are winter, pine, deciduous (pickled) and gooseberry moths.
Z In the process of growth, the moth goes through 5 stages of development, during which it molts 4 times. It has a characteristic transparent greenish color with a dark line along the entire back and three white stripes on the sides.
In mid-June, winter moth caterpillars descend into the ground and, burrowing 15 cm into the soil, pupate. At the end of August and beginning of September, butterflies appear that are not able to fly, so they climb up tree trunks to mate.
The location for laying is usually small cracks near the buds, into which lay up to 400 eggs.
also has a green color, but it has more lateral white stripes - 5. Pupates in late autumn, burrowing into the forest floor.
The gooseberry moth is completely white with black and yellow accents. On deciduous trees you can find adult caterpillars of the deciduous moth, predominantly brown and yellowish in color with dark brown spots and a bright yellow stripe on the side.
We also suggest learning about another variety -. This butterfly is of a dull color, blends in with its surroundings and presses its wings and body very close and tightly to the surface of the trees. Can cause enormous damage to gardens and forest plantations.
What plants are affected by moths?
Caterpillars of this order pose a threat to almost all shrubs and plants growing in Russia and the CIS countries.
Activity period pine moth falls on July - September. During this time, the caterpillar manages to cause serious damage to pine forests, completely eating the tree needles.
Gooseberry eats foliage not only of gooseberries, as its name implies, but also loves to eat currants and hazel bushes in spring and autumn.
Moth-ripped off less picky and feeds on the leaves of most deciduous trees, including fruits.
Winter the moth is the boss enemy of all garden shrubs and trees, including apple trees, pears, currants and raspberries.
Ways to combat moth caterpillars
Greatest danger for gardens and vegetable gardens is a winter moth. About once every 6–8 years, females of this species demonstrate very high fertility, a reproduction outbreak occurs, the duration of which can reach up to 3 years.
One of the most effective ways to combat it is thorough autumn digging of the soil under fruit trees and bushes, during which each lump is checked for the presence of pupated larvae in it.
Attention! The fight against winter moth does not end there and continues throughout the entire growing season of shrubs and trees.
In addition to regularly digging the soil once every 2-3 weeks, the most effective methods are:
- Treatment of crowns with solution oleocuprite And DNOCa early spring until the snow cover completely disappears. Drug No. 30 is also effective.
- Spraying plants before flowering with a solution karbofos.
- Treatment with insecticides when 1st generation caterpillars appear.
- Also, the number of winter moth individuals can be easily controlled using an adhesive hunting belt, which is attached directly to the trunks at a distance of 20–30 cm from the ground. A butterfly that climbs tree trunks to lay eggs simply cannot avoid this obstacle. In October, such a belt must be removed and burned.
This is important! One more in a good way, which also does not require almost any complex actions, is to attract birds - sparrows and starlings. Long-term observations show that the presence of birdhouses and feeders in the garden helps to avoid outbreaks of mass reproduction of caterpillars.
As for, raking forest litter in the autumn will lead to the death of most of the pupae. Herding domestic pigs too effective way struggle, since insect larvae are their favorite delicacy.
To get rid of gooseberry moth enough to produce regular collection of caterpillars from fruit bushes and trees and their subsequent destruction by burning. The larvae, due to their color, are clearly visible, so such actions will not cause much difficulty. Spraying with arsenic solution will also help. early spring.
Against ripped off the most effective method fight stands use of adhesive belts.
In Russia, the share of this order of insects is about 12-15% of all Lepidoptera. Due to the fact that some individual species are susceptible to outbreaks of mass reproduction, which are facilitated, in particular, by an increase in average winter temperatures In most parts of our country, these insects can pose a serious threat to horticultural crops and forestry.
We bring to your attention a video about the moth caterpillar:
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