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caterpillar

File:Euthalia_aconthea_caterpillar.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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caterpillar

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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]]

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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.

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Caterpillar
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via Wikidata · CC0

~19 min read

Article

16 sections
Contents
  • 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).

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