caterpillar
Sign in to savethumb|Euthalia aconthea (baron butterfly) caterpillar found in India thumb|Caterpillar of Papilio machaon thumb|upright|A monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) caterpillar feeding on an unopened seed pod of [[swamp milkweed]]
AI overview
A caterpillar is the larval stage of a butterfly or moth that hatches from an egg and spends its time eating plants to grow larger. Caterpillars matter because they are a crucial part of the life cycle that eventually transforms into adult butterflies and moths, which play important roles in pollination and ecosystems.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Article
16 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Description
- Fossils
- Defenses
- Appearance
- Chemical defenses
- Defensive behaviors
- Social behaviors and relationships with other insects
- Predators
- Behavior
- Economic effects
- Human health
- In popular culture
- See also
- References
- External links
thumb|Euthalia aconthea (baron butterfly) caterpillar found in India thumb|Caterpillar of Papilio machaon thumb|upright|A monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) caterpillar feeding on an unopened seed pod of [[swamp milkweed]]
Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths).