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. And also, some interesting facts about these incomparable creatures of nature are presented.
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.
Incredible species of caterpillars that exist side by side with humans
Today I would like to talk about an insect larva, which subsequently turns into a beautiful creature - a butterfly, at least this is written about in all the encyclopedias about wildlife and the world around us. So, we will talk about caterpillars with horns and their features, which, judging by the name, should not be so few. Looking ahead, I would like to note that such caterpillars are characteristic of many species and they even pose a certain danger to smaller insects, and some to humans. But be that as it may, such representatives of the flora cause only delight in those who look at them, because they are incredibly beautiful and divinely beautiful.
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 in America - larger than the palm of your hand.
Caterpillar sizes and colors
The insect looks quite normal; its color does not warn of danger. The body is covered with long, dense hairs, which does not pose any threat to humans. Toxic spines are hidden under the hairs; just touching them is enough to cause severe burns, skin rashes and unbearable pain.
The color of the outer layer of the insect's body ranges from pale grayish to wheat or brownish-brown. The caterpillar measures 3 cm in length and 1 cm in width. The insect has 14 prolegs.
The butterflies formed from caterpillars are not much larger than the larva itself in volume. The length of their body can reach approximately 3.5 cm. Butterflies have short, rounded wings covered with long wavy hairs. The color is quite multicolored: at the base the wings have a dark orange color, which gradually changes to milky cream from the body to the end of the wings. There are also small toxic spines on the butterfly's body.
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-blue velvet butterfly is common in North America; in some places it gathers in colonies of hundreds of thousands of specimens.
Interesting facts about caterpillars
In the small body of a caterpillar there are about 4000 muscles, and in the human body there are only 629 of them. Nature has not endowed these creatures with acute vision; they can only distinguish between light and darkness, as well as vague outlines of objects. How the caterpillars manage to determine which of the surrounding plants is suitable for their food is a great mystery. Night butterflies have hearing organs, while day butterflies lack them.
The gluttony of caterpillars is known to everyone, but the larva of Saturnia polyphema is recognized as the record holder among them. During its short life, equal to two days, it manages to absorb food in an amount equal to its weight multiplied by 86 thousand.
Some caterpillars are used in Chinese medicine. They are believed to help treat hypertension, lower blood cholesterol and prevent cancer. Enterprising Chinese have even started selling them online.
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.
Summarizing what has been said
In fact, there are a great variety of caterpillars with horns in nature. There is simply no point in listing them all in one article, because the text can turn out to be as long as the well-known masterpiece of the Russian classic “War and Peace.” We introduced you only to the brightest and most unusual larvae, which nature has awarded with one or more horns. I would like to say that without exception, all caterpillars endowed with this attribute use it as self-defense. They deftly take advantage of the moment, curling up into a ball during danger, and then sharply throw their tail and horn towards the enemy. Remember that nature created caterpillars to be admired, not to be experimented on or destroyed.
Seeing a caterpillar in a dream means that the business you, roughly speaking, got yourself into, disgusts you, but reproaching yourself in hindsight makes no sense and you are in vain taking what happened so close to your heart.
A dream in which you see a caterpillar on yourself and cannot throw it off, foreshadows a meeting with low, two-faced people. It would be better if you could avoid contact with them.
Holding a caterpillar in your hand means that you are disgusted with your connection with a person who, from being desired, has long turned into an object and the reason for your constant irritability and dissatisfaction with life.
Crushing a caterpillar in a dream means good luck, which is just around the corner. A silkworm caterpillar seen in a dream foretells obtaining a very profitable position and achieving a strong position.
Interpretation of dreams from the Dream Interpretation alphabetically
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.
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 the tropical forests of Mexico.
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 predatory species are also found. 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 are caterpillars that feed on one specific type of plant. 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.
- Xylophages 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.
Moth (Acharia Stimulea)
This strange creature of incomprehensible color, with a bright green blanket, is a 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.
Varieties (types) of caterpillars
Characteristics by which the larvae of different butterflies are classified:
- nature of nutrition;
- nocturnal or diurnal lifestyle;
- habitat;
- the structure of various parts of the body;
- availability of protective devices.
According to the position of the head relative to the body
According to the position of the head relative to the body, caterpillars are divided into several types:
- orthognathic (the longitudinal axis of the head and the axis of the body form a right angle);
- prognathic (the longitudinal axis of the flattened head continues the axis of the body);
- semiprognathic (occupies an intermediate position).
The first type is the most common, the second is typical for species with a mining lifestyle. They eat out passages and tunnels in the pulp of leaves and fruits. The third type includes caterpillars that live secretly.
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. They are nocturnal.
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.
Poisonous caterpillars
There are not many representatives of horned caterpillars in our country, probably due to the harsh and cold climate, but on other continents, where it is warm almost all year round, there are plenty of such beauties. By the way, there is an opinion regarding the colors of insects that the brighter the color of the caterpillar, the more beautiful the butterfly will hatch from it. And also, if the larva is too beautiful, then you should definitely be wary of it. The striking color warns of the poisonous nature of the insect. At the very beginning of the conversation about foreign caterpillars with a horn on their tail, photos of which can be seen in the presented material, I would like to discuss the poisonous species.
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.
Dream Interpretation - Caterpillar
A caterpillar in a dream foreshadows a meeting with low, hypocritical people. Try to avoid communicating with them.
In addition, a dream about a caterpillar means that in real life you did not appreciate a good person. The first impression was deceptive, and you treated him rather coldly. Nothing can be fixed, and all you can do is regret what happened.
Interpretation of dreams from
A caterpillar is the larva of a butterfly, moth or moth - insects from the order Lepidoptera.
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.
Consequences of tactile contact with insects
If viewed from a distance, the caterpillar can be confused with a small piece of fluff that poses no threat. Due to their ignorance, both children and adults who want to examine the harmless lump in more detail can pick up the caterpillar with their hand. But as soon as you touch it carelessly, a powerful impulse of pain pierces the place of contact. A few seconds after dangerous contact, the pain increases and becomes throbbing and unbearable. It quickly spreads throughout the body, is felt in the lymph nodes of the groin area and armpits, then moves to the chest area. Fighting these insects, like baiting bedbugs in the hostel, will help avoid unpleasant contact.
At the site of contact with the toxic thorn, erythematous spots (bruises) instantly appear. Other signs of intoxication are pain in the back of the head and frontal part of the skull, lightheadedness, vomiting, numbness and difficulty breathing. Consciousness at this moment becomes cloudy, and there is a lack of coordination of movements.
The pain usually subsides after a few hours, and the bruising disappears within a day. If a large amount of a toxic substance enters the bloodstream, symptoms can persist for up to 5 days.
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.
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.
The most beautiful caterpillar in the world
Since we have already examined the most poisonous caterpillar in the world, we would now like to contrast it with the most beautiful and harmless one - the monarch larva. It is worth saying that even the name of this large caterpillar with a horn speaks for itself. A truly royal creature immediately appears, enchanting with its beauty and pleasing to the eye. Its main color is white and, if not for the bright yellow stripes on its back, the caterpillar would look like a zebra, because it is also completely covered with black thin stripes. She has three pairs of horns: two on her head, two on her tail and the same number in the middle of her body. They are located symmetrically to each other.
The monarch butterfly is one of the most famous butterflies in North America. It is easily recognized by the characteristic pattern on its wings: black stripes located on a red background. The wingspan of the Danaid reaches 10.2 cm. This is one of the few insects that flies across the Atlantic Ocean during migration. In Russia, the species is found in the Far East.
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.
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.
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, mouthparts 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, located 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.
Sources:
https://prusakam.net/vidy-gusenits-s-foto-i-nazvaniyami/ https://vreditelisos.ru/nasekomye/babochki/gusenica-eto-nasekomoe.html https://zelenyjmir.ru/gusenica/
Rainbow Blue Swallowtail Butterfly (Pipevine Swallowtail)
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.
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.
Arctiidae species
The bear butterfly is named by its basic Latin name Arctiinae, which means “bear” in Russian.
Species living in Russia:
- Hebe (lat. Euplagia quadripunctaria);
- speckled (lat. Utetheisa pulchella);
- yellow (lat. Epbestris melfntba);
- nettle (lat. Spilosoma lubricipeda);
- mole cricket (lat. Spilarctia luteum);
- kaya (lat. Arctia Caja);
- mistress (lat. Callimorpha dominula).
The common bear butterfly looks like a moth covered with dense hair. In the area of the head the hairs are longer. The furry caterpillar gives the name to the entire species. The female kaya bear's caterpillar is covered with brown fur. The black fluffy caterpillar with yellow dots belongs to the lady bear. The yellow bear has a fluffy red caterpillar with dense reddish bristles.
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.
An inhabitant of Russian latitudes, who is often mistaken for an alien
Of course, at the very beginning I would like to talk about those types of large green caterpillars with horns that live in our country. The most common larva of the hawk moth and all its subspecies. For example, linden hawk moth. Its larva is a fairly long caterpillar. Sometimes it reaches 10 cm in length. Its color, unlike other caterpillars with horns, is quite calm and not particularly attractive. Most often, this insect is light beige or light brown in color with a white abdomen, on which there are horny growths, which are nothing more than the rudiments of the insect’s legs. They are quite hard and tenacious to the touch; thanks to these properties, the caterpillar can easily move along tree trunks. In rare cases, linden hawk moth larvae can be bright green or black with brown speckles. No matter what color the caterpillars are, they always have a sharp, hard spike on their tail, which many take for a horn, confusing the insect’s head with its tail.
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 largest butterfly in the world hatches from a caterpillar with horns
In Asia (in China, Vietnam, on the islands of Java and Borneo) real giant butterflies live. Their wingspan reaches 27 centimeters. The females of this species are much larger than the male. The situation in the insect world is not unique; sexual dimorphism is observed very often. It is called the beautiful giant peacock-eye atlas. The color of its caterpillar is completely unremarkable: pale flesh-colored, and sometimes gray. A mandatory attribute is numerous horns on the body. However, the larva produces a spectacular and bright butterfly. It is noteworthy that she has no developed oral apparatus at all. The imago does not feed and lives off the resources accumulated during the larval stage.
