The caterpillar is the larva of an insect belonging to the Lepidoptera order - butterflies, moths, moths.

The 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, mouth apparatus and limbs. On the body, the thoracic and abdominal sections are clearly distinguishable, and on them there are several pairs of legs.

The body of the caterpillar consists of segments separated by narrow furrows. An anus is located on the body, and a spiracle is located on the chest.

Most species of caterpillars have three pairs of legs on their chest, each of which has a sole and a claw - moving, the caterpillar retracts and releases claws, and five pairs of false abdominal limbs, at the ends of which 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, spikes or granules, and the hairs of the caterpillars grow separately or in bunches. Caterpillars molt several times during their life.

The head consists of six fused parts that form a capsule. At the bottom of the head is the 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.

Eye in caterpillars 5-6 pairs - several simple eyes, each of which consists of one lens, are arranged in an arc one after another or connected into one complex eye of five simple ones.

The mouth of the caterpillar is a gnawing apparatus, the upper jaw is powerful - there are teeth with which the insect gnaws or tears food.

Inside the mouth apparatus there are tubercles with which the caterpillar chews food, and the glands that produce saliva are a kind of spinning mill - in this way 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 that live in the north do not have time to develop in a short summer season, they hibernate until the next one - the fluke butterfly, whose habitat is the Arctic, exists in the form of a caterpillar for an average of 13 years.

During the life cycle, caterpillars undergo amazing metamorphoses - from increasing in size and changing color to turning from an individual with bare skin to furry and vice versa.

When life cycle comes to an end, caterpillars pupate, then butterflies hatch from 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, as well as underwater.

According to the conditions of existence, these insect larvae are divided into two categories - hiding and leading a lifestyle in plain sight.

Hidden presented:

leafworms - these caterpillars live on trees, existing in twisted leaves;
frugivorous - live in fruits and vegetables;
drillers - the habitat of the stem parts of trees and roots;
miners - habitats are foliage, branches, fruit and vegetable peels, plant buds - caterpillars make moves;
gall formers - they cause damage to plant tissues, the occurrence of neoplasms on them;
living underground;
aquatic - habitats are water bodies.

Leading a free lifestyle - openly exist on plants, mainly caterpillars of large varieties of butterflies.

Feeding caterpillars of different species

As soon as the caterpillar hatches from the egg, it eats its shell. Then, throughout life, most caterpillar species feed on greens and fruits.

According to the method of feeding, caterpillars are divided into four types:

polyphages - eat any plants;
oligophages - eat plants of any one species, for example, swallowtail caterpillars feed only on umbrellas;
monophages - feed exclusively on a plant of one species, for example, larvae silkworm eat only mulberry leaves
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, larvae of domestic moths that settle in wardrobes.

And the caterpillars of moth butterflies eat only honey and wax.

There are also predatory caterpillars, these include the larvae of the bear butterfly and cotton scoop - they attack weak relatives and eat them.

And the food for the caterpillars of the raspberry, solar and fireweed narrow-nosed moths are worms - small insects 3-6 mm in size. Caterpillars of pigeons feed on aphids, moths feed only on insects.

There are varieties that exist together with ants, for example, caterpillars of pigeons. They live in anthills and chemically keep ants under control - they secrete a specific sweet liquid, and even make sounds to attract them.

caterpillars and man

Most species of caterpillars are safe for humans. But there are also poisonous species. From accidentally touching them on human skin, redness and swelling occur, and a rash may appear.

The secretions of some caterpillars make a person drowsy, his head starts to hurt, his temperature rises and arterial pressure, there is a disorder of the gastrointestinal tract.

Therefore, no matter how tempting it is to touch a beautiful caterpillar without understanding their varieties, you should not do this. TO poisonous species include, for example, coquette caterpillars, oak larvae of the slug, "lazy clown".

Of the most useful to man the most famous silk caterpillar, it is also called silkworm. Its habitat is the northeastern regions of Russia and China, the southern territories of Primorye. The length of her body 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 leaves. Since the 27th century BC, these caterpillars have been used in sericulture - 9 kg of silk thread is extracted from 100 kg of cocoons.

But there are also species that, while not dangerous to human health, harm him by eating agricultural crops.

Caterpillar Pest Control

There are three groups of ways to deal with caterpillars that devour crops of vegetables, fruits and fruits.

Mechanical method - when the caterpillars are harvested by hand, their wintering masonry is cut off.

One of the most effective methods- catching them with adhesive-coated belts or traps filled with bait liquid.

The biological method is when birds are attracted to agricultural fields and orchards that eat caterpillars, arranging feeders and birdhouses for birds.

caterpillar snake

The chemical method is the most effective, but after a while 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 helps well against the caterpillars of the ubiquitous cabbage butterfly), hemlock (it is effective against caterpillars attacking fruit trees), mountaineer pepper, 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 in an omelette and made from caterpillars the basis for various sauces.

The color of the caterpillar imitates the colors of the surrounding nature of the habitat - in this way the caterpillars camouflage themselves from 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 caterpillars of a blue-green color, it seems that their bodies are covered with white dust, they reach 12 cm.

Like any other Living being, the caterpillar takes its place in the ecosystem of the planet and plays an important role in it.

caterpillar photo

Caterpillars are crawling, worm-like insect larvae. They are absolutely different sizes and flowers, may be naked or covered with fluffy hairs. One thing unites them - all of them someday turn into beautiful butterflies. However, the appearance of caterpillars can also surprise and impress. Description and name of caterpillar species can be found in this article.

What are they?

Unlike worms, with which they are constantly compared, caterpillars are not an independent group of animals. These are insect larvae - one of the forms of development of Lepidoptera, or butterflies. This stage occurs after the "egg" stage and can last from a couple of weeks to several years. Then she becomes a chrysalis and only then an adult.

The body of all types of caterpillars consists of a head, 3 thoracic and 10 abdominal segments. The eyes are on the side of the head. They have many limbs. In the region of the thoracic segments there are three pairs of legs, on the belly there are about five.

Caterpillars are rarely completely naked. Their body is covered with single or very dense hairs arranged in bundles. Many species of caterpillars have raised cuticle outgrowths that form denticles, granules, and spines.

From the moment they hatch from the egg, the caterpillar begins to change. Often individuals of larvae of the same species, but different ages, differ externally. As they grow, they molt from two (miner caterpillar) to forty (cloth moth) times.

Butterfly larvae have a special saliva. When exposed to air, it hardens to form silk. People have not disregarded this ability and have been breeding caterpillars for more than a century to obtain valuable fibers. Predatory species are also used in pest control in vegetable gardens, but herbivorous species can cause damage to the farm.

Types of caterpillars and butterflies

Lepidoptera insects are distributed throughout the planet, but only in those places where there is flowering vegetation. They are rarely found in the cold polar regions, lifeless deserts and bald highlands. Not too many of them temperate latitudes, but the tropics have the greatest diversity of species.

But how to determine the type of caterpillars? First of all, attention should be paid to color, size, number of legs, length of hairs and other features specific to each species. Caterpillars grow in length from a few millimeters to 12 centimeters. Their coloration often does not resemble the color of the butterfly they turn into, therefore, experience and relevant knowledge are needed to recognize them. For example, the larva of a large harpy is light green, and the adult is grayish-brown, the larvae of yellow lemongrass are bright green.

To understand what kind of caterpillar is in front of you, observing its nutrition will help. Many of them (cabbage, bear, swallowtail, polyxena) are phytophages and eat flowers, leaves and fruits of plants. Woodworms, castnias, glass-boxes feed exclusively on wood and grass roots. Real moths and some types of bagworms eat fungi and lichens. Some caterpillars prefer wool, hair, horny substances, wax (carpet and clothes moth, moths), predators are also rare, such as scoops, pigeons, moths.

Caterpillars in Russia

Our regions are not as rich in insects as hot tropical belts. But even in Russia there will be several hundred species of caterpillars. Fatheads, pigeons, nymphalids, whites, sailboats, rhyodinids and other orders are common here.

A typical representative of whites is cabbage. She lives all over Eastern Europe, eastern Japan and North Africa. Butterflies of this species are white, with black wings at the tips and two black dots. Their caterpillars are yellow-green with black warts all over their bodies. These are well-known pests that feed on cabbages and cabbage leaves, horseradish, swede.

The alkynoy sailboat lives mainly in Japan, Korea and China. In Russia, caterpillars of the species are found only in Primorsky Krai, and then in its southern part. They live near rivers and lakes where aristolochia grows. Butterflies lay their eggs on this plant, and the caterpillars then feed on their leaves. Alcinous caterpillars are brown with white segments in the middle, the body is covered with teeth. Both adult and larval forms of insects are poisonous, so no one is in a hurry to hunt them.

Brazhnik is one of the most known species. Blind hawks are a rare species. Their butterflies are dark brown in color, and the larvae are light green with red spiracles and white stripes on the sides. Caterpillars appear in July, they have a black horn on the back of the body at the end. They feed on the leaves of willows, poplars and birches and pupate in August.

poisonous species

Caterpillars often serve as food for other animals. In order not to become someone's food, they have many adaptations. Some species use a protective or repellent color, while others secrete a secret with an unpleasant odor. Some of them adopted poison.

Scales, hairs and needles hidden under the skin of some caterpillars can cause lepidopterism or caterpillar dermatitis. It is manifested by inflammation, swelling, itching and redness of the contact points and can have serious consequences. Poisonous are the larvae of the oak, gypsy and marching silkworm, megalopygi operakulus, hickory bear, Saturnia io, godwort bear, etc.

One of the most dangerous is the Lonomia caterpillar. It is found only in South America. Poisoning her secret even has its own name - lonomiasis. Contact with lonomia obliqua and lonomia achelous can result in severe internal bleeding and death. Caterpillars live on fruit trees, and plantation workers often become their “victims”.

Peacock-eye atlas

These butterflies are considered one of the largest in the world. Their wingspan reaches about 25 centimeters. They are common in India, China, countries and islands South-East Asia. Their caterpillars are thick and grow up to twelve centimeters long. bluish green on early stages, they become snow-white with time. The body is covered with thick hairy needles, from small hairs on them it seems that the caterpillars are covered with dust or snow. They exude a strong fagara silk, and their torn cocoons are sometimes used as purses or cases.

Lilac hawk

A large number of caterpillar species are green. They feed on plants, and this coloration helps to disguise themselves as environment. Caterpillars of privet or lilac hawkweed are painted in light green color. On the sides they have short diagonal stripes of white and black, and next to them there is one red dot.

Hawk hawk larvae are thick and reach a length of 9-10 centimeters. A white and black outgrowth resembling a horn sticks out in the back of the back of the caterpillars. They live in Western Europe, China, Japan, the European part of Russia and in the south Far East, in the Caucasus, southern Siberia and d Kazakhstan. They feed on jasmine, barberry, elderberry, viburnum, currant. They become caterpillars from July to September, and then winter twice as pupae.

Apollo Parnassus

Black species of caterpillars in nature are not very common. This color boasts a peacock eye, grass cocoon, Parnassian Apollo. The last species is named after Greek god Arts, Apollo. These butterflies live in Europe and Asia, are found in Southern Siberia, Chuvashia, Mordovia, Moscow region. They love dry and sunny valleys located at an altitude of 2000-3000 thousand meters.

Adult caterpillars of the Parnassian Apollo are painted deep black with bright red dots and blue warts on the sides. Behind the head of the larva is an osmetrium - a gland in the form of small horns. Usually it is hidden under the skin and protrudes at the moment of danger, releasing a substance with an unpleasant odor. Caterpillars feed on sedum and juveniles and appear only in good sunny weather.

Clothes or room moth

This type of caterpillar gives a lot of trouble in the house. They eat cereals, flour, silk and woolen fabrics, furniture upholstery. Adult individuals - butterflies - are harmful only because they can lay eggs. It is caterpillars that cause all the main damage to things, devouring everything they find.

Their bodies are almost transparent and covered with thin beige-brown skin. Among the caterpillars, they are considered the smallest, the size of the larvae varies from a millimeter to one centimeter. In the larval stage, they stay from a month to two and a half years, during which time they manage to shed up to 40 times. Moths live in the USA, Australia, Europe, Southeast Asia, New Zealand, Zimbabwe and many other regions.

Akraga koa, or "marmalade" caterpillar

Amazing caterpillars of this species look like something extraterrestrial. Their transparent-silver body seems to be made of jelly. Due to which they are called "marmalade" or "crystal". Their body is covered with cone-shaped processes, on the tips of which there are orange dots. Caterpillars reach only three centimeters in length. They are sticky to the touch, and the substances that secrete their glands are saturated with poison.

The insect lives in the Neotropics - a region covering the South and part Central America. You can meet him in Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, etc. The caterpillar feeds on the leaves of mango trees, coffee and other plants.

Swallowtail

Swallowtail is another insect named after the hero of mythology. This time it is an ancient Greek doctor. About 40 subspecies of swallowtails are known. All of them are very colorful both at the adult stage and during the development of larvae. They are distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere. They are found in North Africa, North America, throughout Europe, except for Ireland. IN mountainous areas can climb to heights from 2 to 4.5 kilometers.

Swallowtail caterpillars are born twice a season: in May and August, but they are in the state of larvae for only a month. As they grow up appearance changes a lot. At first they are black with red dots and a white spot on the back. Over time, the color becomes light green, and black stripes and red dots are placed on each segment, White color present only on the limbs. They also have a hidden bright orange osmetrium.

We all know firsthand that nature creates such masterpieces that at first glance seem quite unusual and even partly cosmic. There are more than enough examples of this among representatives of the world flora and fauna. In particular, toothed patu fish, water deer with fangs, bald cats, anteaters with huge trunks, California condors (birds that cannot be looked at without tears), drop fish resembling characters from fantasy movie with horror elements. The list of natural phenomena is endless.

Incredible types of caterpillars that exist side by side with humans

Today I would like to talk about which subsequently turns into a beautiful creature - into a butterfly, in any case, this is written in all 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 the one looking at them, because they are incredibly beautiful and divinely beautiful.

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 on the territory of our country. The most common larva of hawk hawk and all its subspecies. For example, lime hawk. 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 attracting attention. 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 legs of an insect. To the touch, they are quite hard and tenacious, thanks to these properties, the caterpillar can easily move along tree trunks. In rare cases, the larvae of the lime hawk hawk may be bright green or black with a brown speck. No matter what color There were caterpillars, on the tail they always have a sharp, hard spike, which many take for a horn, confusing the head of an insect with its tail.

Ocellated hawk hawk

Speaking of butterflies that hatch from the pupa of the hawk caterpillar, it should be noted that all representatives of the family of these unusual insects are considered quite rare, and many of them are listed in the Red Book. Their extermination can lead to serious consequences and is punishable by law. For example, By the way, its larva is one of the most unusual: green with white stripes, located symmetrically relative to each other. It is a large green caterpillar with a pale blue tail horn. Speaking of the larva of the ocellated hawk moth, it must be said that the thorn of these insects is not at all for beauty, but for protection from annoying small brothers: ants and small bugs. It is something like a sting, in which, like wasps, there is poison (acid) that acts on the enemy. For humans, the "weapon" of the hawk caterpillar does not pose any danger.

Dead Head

Another prominent representative hawk moths living on the territory of Russia, which should be mentioned separately, is a butterfly dead (Adam's) head. Her caterpillar is unusually beautiful. It is large, bright green, one-color or with variegated spots scattered over the body. The spike on her tail is the color of the color itself. But a jet-black butterfly with bright brown spots hatches from such a miracle. At all, this species resembles in its color the king of the savannah - a leopard. The hawk dead head is, without a doubt, more beautiful than the beetle and several times larger. Now, having met any of the larvae described above in your garden, the attentive reader should not have a question, what is the name of the caterpillar with a horn on its tail.

poisonous caterpillars

There are not so many representatives of horned caterpillars in our country, probably due to the harsh and cold climate, but on other continents, where it is almost warm all year round There are plenty of such beauties. By the way, there is such 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 yet, if the larva is too beautiful, then it should certainly be feared. A catchy color warns of the poisonousness of the insect. At the very beginning of the conversation about alien caterpillars with a horn on their tail, photos of which can be viewed in the material presented, I would like to discuss poisonous species.

Saddle caterpillar - a beauty that is better not to touch

The most poisonous caterpillar in the world is simply unusually beautiful: a brown head with pronounced light green "glasses" and a torso, and a brown rhombus on its back, resembling a horse's saddle. Of course, thanks to this attribute, this larva is called saddle. On the head and on the tail of the poisonous caterpillar there are two impressive horns, completely covered with sharp spikes. It is they who pose a great danger to everyone who decides to touch an unearthly, bewitching creature. By the way, if you look at a saddle caterpillar from above, it is impossible to make out where its head is and where its tail is, as it looks like poisonous insect absolutely symmetrical.

This miracle of nature lives in North America, it can be found mainly on deciduous trees. As with the other caterpillars with a horn on the tail, discussed above, this species contains poison in the process. However, if nothing happens when touching the hawk hawk, then touching the poisonous caterpillar, a person will feel discomfort, as if he had been stung by a bee. Side effects can be unpleasant: nausea, vomiting, headache and rash at the site of contact. Symptoms persist for up to two days.

"Burning rose" does not grow in the garden, but eats it

Another beautiful caterpillar that lives across the ocean and poses a certain danger to people is the "burning rose". She got her name not for a single horn on a very small body (only 2.5 cm), but for the poisonous spikes abundantly located on it. If you touch it, then serious skin irritation is guaranteed to you. Distinctive feature such a green caterpillar with horns are longitudinal orange and black stripes, as well as bright red and yellow spots on the body. Looking at it, it becomes clear why scientists consider the most beautiful and unusual insects to be among the most dangerous.

The most beautiful caterpillar in the world

Since we have already examined the most poisonous caterpillar in the world, now I would like to oppose it to the most beautiful and harmless - the larva of the monarch's danaid. It is worth saying that even the name of this large caterpillar with a horn speaks for itself. A truly royal creation immediately appears, enchanting with its beauty and pleasing to the eye. Its main color is white and, if it were not for the bright yellow stripes on the back, the caterpillar would look like a zebra, because it is also completely covered with thin black stripes. She has already three pairs of horns: two on the head, two on the tail and the same number in the middle of the body. They are located symmetrically to each other.

Belongs to the number of the most famous butterflies North America. It is easy to recognize by the characteristic pattern on the 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, during migration, flies over Atlantic Ocean. In Russia, the species is found in the Far East.

The world's largest butterfly hatches from a caterpillar with horns

In Asia (on the territory of 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 males. The situation for the world of insects is not unique, sexual dimorphism is observed very often. The beautiful giant peacock-eye atlas is called. The color of her caterpillar is completely unremarkable: pale flesh, and sometimes gray. Mandatory attribute - numerous horns on the body. However, a spectacular and bright butterfly is obtained from the larva. It is noteworthy that she has not developed at all oral apparatus. The imago does not feed and lives off the resources accumulated during the larval stage.

Black is always combined with white - a rule that even nature observes

Probably, many have heard about the next caterpillar with horns, but not everyone has seen such an incredible beauty created by nature. It's about about the larvae of the swallowtail. Imago has a bright yellow coloration with four round black eye-like spots on the wings. Who would have thought that, being a caterpillar, the swallowtail is not bright. On the contrary, the larva is completely black with horns of the same color located all over its body. However, in the later stages of caterpillar development, just before pupation, the black color of the body is diluted with numerous contrasting white spots.

Summing up what has been said

In fact, there are a great many caterpillars with horns in nature. There is simply no point in listing them all within the framework of one article, because the text can turn out to be voluminous, like the well-known masterpiece of Russian classics "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 such an attribute use it as self-defense. They deftly take advantage of the moment, curling up into a ball during danger, and then sharply throwing their tail with a horn towards the enemy. Remember that nature designed caterpillars to be admired, not experimented on or destroyed.

Sometimes in the summer on the meadow paths, or even in the city, you can meet slowly crawling large caterpillars. Someone will say “fu, what a disgusting thing!”, And someone, on the contrary, will pick it up with interest. The caterpillar, of course, does not like this, it begins to squirm and curl up into a ring, because it has eaten for several weeks and is now looking for a secluded place to pupate. The caterpillar shown in the photo wine hawk hawk (lat. Deilephila elpenor) light brown, with a greenish tint; on the sides of the front of the body, not far from the head, it has dark spots with a white border on top and a small horn on the tail. If the caterpillar is frightened, it retracts its head, inflates segments with eye patterns, which makes them look like a snake's head with eyes, which should scare away uninvited predators. This caterpillar feeds on fireweed, better known to us as Ivan-tea, bedstraw and grape leaves (for which it got its name). After pupation, on next year from it will hatch a wine hawk moth, a rather large twilight moth, which, in terms of flight and feeding, is very similar to a hummingbird. Even in English it is called elephant hawk moth, which can be roughly translated as "elephant moth".

Wine hawk(lat. Deilephila elpenor) - a butterfly from the family hawks (Sphingidae). Wingspan 50-70 mm. The color of the front wings and body is olive-pink with transverse oblique pink bands on the front wings. The hindwings are black at the base. Widely distributed in the Palaearctic. Flight time - from mid-May to mid-August, one, in some places - two generations. The caterpillar stage is from mid-June to August. The color of the caterpillar varies from light green to brown and almost black, on the 4th and 5th rings there are "eyes" with a dark core and a white border. The horn is short, black-brown. Forage plants of caterpillars are fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium and E. hirsutum) and fireweed (Chamerion); less often bedstraw, touchy, grapes. Pupation on soil, pupa hibernates.

Below is a photo (not mine) of what an imago (adult moth) looks like:

Photo by jean pierre Hamon, Wikipedia

The wine hawk belongs to the genus Deilephila. These are large and medium butterflies with a wingspan of 40-80 mm. The wine hawk moth is an olive butterfly with a pink pattern. The base of the hind wings is black. Wingspan 50-70 mm. The head, thorax and abdomen of a moth are olive green. Pinkish stripes on the back near the abdomen merge into one longitudinal line. Antennae thickened, grayish-pink. The eyes are large, complex, covered with scales. Insects have excellent eyesight, they see objects in low light. Insects are common in Europe, including the south of the Urals. Found in Turkey, Iran, Central Asia, India, Korea, Japan and China. It lives in gardens, on the edge of the forest, roadsides. Settles on honeysuckle bushes, flowers of petunias, iris. Moths living in gardens and parks pollinate 5-10% of the nearest trees and shrubs.

The caterpillar of the wine hawk hawk may be green or dark brown, almost black in color. On the 4th-5th segment of the body there are round black eyes with a white border. The tail horn is short, black at the base, the tip is white. Due to the large size of 70-80 mm, the caterpillars make a frightening impression on people. In fact, they are not dangerous. Even plants, the larvae do not cause serious harm.

The caterpillar of the wine hawk moth, in case of danger, is able to inflate a segment of the body with eyes. She pulls her head inward, assumes the pose of a sphinx, lifting her front legs off the surface. It makes her look like a snake. Given the impressive size of the body, enemies such as birds prefer not to fight.

Butterfly summer time is from May to August. They are active in evening time until midnight. Moths feed on flowers and mate. Depending on the region of habitat, they give from one to five generations. For plants that open buds at close times, they are excellent pollinators. IN mating season they often fly towards light sources.

Hawk hawks are excellent flyers, during migration they cover thousands of kilometers. Butterflies are able to hover in one place, feeding on the nectar of flowers, move vertically up and down.

The fertilized female lays single or paired round eggs on the leaves and stems of fodder plants. Green masonry with a glossy surface. The embryo develops in 7-10 days. Young larvae are yellow or light green in color. As they mature, most become grey-brown with black streaks. This stage lasts about a month.

The caterpillar of the wine hawk moth can be beneficial and harmful. It depends on her diet. The larva that settled on the weeds helps to get rid of the grass without weeding. Insect does no harm agriculture. The fodder plants of hawkweed are flowers and ovary of fireweed ( Ivan-tea), bedstraw, touchy. In rare cases, it feeds on grape leaves.

Having reached the fifth instar, the larva descends to the ground and prepares for pupation. She chooses a place at the foot of the plant on which she ate, and forms a cocoon. The pupa is brown, 40-45 mm long. They hibernate in the litter or upper layers of the soil.

Hawk moths fly at speeds up to 50 km/h. The wind interferes with them in flight and while feeding on flowers. With a wind strength of 3 m/s, insects do not fly out to feed.

The medium wine hawk is listed in the Red Book of Karelia and the Belgorod region as a rare species.

The wine hawk moth received the Latin name Deilephila elpenor in honor of the hero of mythology: Elpenor is a friend of Odysseus, returning with him from Troy; died falling from the roof of the palace of the sorceress Circe.

There is an assumption that these spots on the caterpillars of wine hawks imitate the "glasses" of a cobra. However, it is unlikely that birds can confuse a small caterpillar with a snake, especially since wine hawks are widespread even where cobras are not found. A simple experience has shown that birds are very willing to eat ocellar caterpillars. There is no definite answer to the question about the reason for this coloration. The horn of the caterpillar of the middle wine hawk is weakly expressed.

The hawk hawk family (Sphingidae) is one of the fastest flyers not only among butterflies, but also among insects in general. Some develop speeds up to 60 km / h! Narrow and long front wings, streamlined, aerodynamic body make their flight swift and maneuverable. It was they, like some birds, who became the prototype for the creation of jet aircraft, thanks to observant designers. Hawk hawks make 37 to 85 wing beats per second, while the swallowtail, for example, makes only 5-6 beats.

The wine hawk moth can be brought out of the chrysalis at home on its own, but for this, after pupation, it must be stored in the refrigerator for some time, otherwise the adult insect will hatch somewhere around the new year, when it will have nothing to eat. detailed information about their breeding

Today we will continue this topic and talk about the most dangerous caterpillars that can be found in R.F.

I hasten to reassure a little right away, in our country there are no deadly poisonous caterpillars, well, such, for example, as Lonomia obliqua, and death from their poison does not threaten us. However, we also have caterpillars in our homeland that should be treated with at least caution! After all, their hairs saturated with poison can bring quite a few troubles!

The video version of the article can be seen here (continuation of the text below):

PINE TRAVELING SILKMOTH

Pine marching silkworm (Thaumetopoea pinivora)- earned his name thanks to his love of collective travel, and he also loves pine needles, which he feeds on! In June, the silkworm moves mainly along pine branches and needles, huddling together when it gets cold, but towards the end of July - the beginning of August, it goes on a trip. Lined up with relatives in long rows, literally marching on earth, asphalt and other surfaces to get to a suitable, sandy place. They then pupate by burrowing into the sand.

Looking at the way of life of the marching pine silkworm, it becomes clear that you can most likely meet it in young pine trees, with more or less sandy soil. As the caterpillars grow older, they become more dangerous, and the outfit of the caterpillars also changes. Hairs from a small fluff develop into a magnificent outfit, which, however, a completely mature caterpillar, as it were, grinds with special recesses in the body. As a result, dust is formed from the hairs, causing itching and burning when it comes into contact with the skin and mucous membranes of a person! It’s not something to touch here, next to such caterpillars and being nearby is not recommended !!! An allergic reaction from flying hairs invisible to the eye can manifest itself in different ways in different people! Usually, inflammatory processes are observed on the attacked areas of the skin, it is covered with red bubbles that itch irresistibly! When it hits the face, most often the picture is supplemented by swelling, eyes can swim and close. The inflammatory processes themselves can proceed for several weeks! If you are still unlucky and you develop an allergic reaction, you should immediately consult a doctor!

Pine silkworm caterpillar

SILKMOTH OAK TRAVELING

Silkworm marching oak (T. processionea)- a relative of the above-described comrade, just as dangerous, somewhat different appearance and way of life (feeds on oak leaves)!

Caterpillar of the marching oak silkworm

Goldentail

Caterpillar Goldentails (Euproctis chrysorrhoea)(goldfish or golden silkworm) also has venomous hairs! Distributed throughout almost all of Europe, including Russia. He loves orchards and parks, where he is most often found! It is dangerous because, if touched, it can cause a variety of inflammatory processes, rashes or scars on the skin. Breathing problems are also possible, and if hairs get into the eyes, conjunctivitis can occur.

Goldentail Caterpillar

REDTAIL

Redtail (Calliteara pudibunda) or whatever it is calledWoolpaw bashful, may have different colour"wool" (lemon, pink, brown, gray) but it always has a constant reddish tail in the back. The caterpillar is not capable of causing any serious damage, however, you still shouldn’t touch it with your hands, unless, of course, you want to get an allergic reaction in the form of a rash! Prefers oak forests, found throughout Eurasia, except for the extreme north.

Redtail caterpillar

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