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"It lives in groups on cabbages in gardens, and similar vegetables. It is so voracious that it consumes in a day more than double its own weight."

Caterpillar and Chrysalis of Pieris Brassicae

"It lives in groups on cabbages in gardens, and similar vegetables. It is so voracious that it consumes…

"Shows how the head advances over half the circumference of the circle which it has to describe, and secures the end of the thread against the support."

Caterpillars of the Cabbage-Butterfly

"Shows how the head advances over half the circumference of the circle which it has to describe, and…

"Their attitudes deceive even the close observer; they embrace the stem of the leaf or twig with their hinder or intermediate legs, whilst the rest of their body, vertically elevated, remans stiff and immovable for hours together."

Caterpillar of the Canary-Shouldered Thorn

"Their attitudes deceive even the close observer; they embrace the stem of the leaf or twig with their…

"Represents the Looper caterpillar, with four membranous legs. If one of these caterpillars, lying quiet at full length, determines to walk, in order to take its first step it begins by humping its back, curving into an arch that part which has no legs, and finishes by [lying at full length]"

Looper Caterpillar at Full Length

"Represents the Looper caterpillar, with four membranous legs. If one of these caterpillars, lying quiet…

"Represents the Looper caterpillar, with four membranous legs. If one of these caterpillars, lying quiet at full length, determines to walk, in order to take its first step it begins by humping its back, curving into an arch that part which has no legs, and finishes by [lying flat]"

Looper Caterpillar Curved into an Arch

"Represents the Looper caterpillar, with four membranous legs. If one of these caterpillars, lying quiet…

"Represents the Looper caterpillar, with four membranous legs. If one of these caterpillars, lying quiet at full length, determines to walk, in order to take its first step it begins by humping its back, curving into an arch that part which has no legs, and finishes by [lying flat]"

Looper Caterpillar

"Represents the Looper caterpillar, with four membranous legs. If one of these caterpillars, lying quiet…

"When the caterpillar wants to gnaw the edge of a leaf, it twists its body in such a way that at least one portion of the edge of the leaf is held between its legs, while the insect's jaws cut the leaf."

Looper Caterpillar Eating the Leaves of the Apricot (After Reaumur)

"When the caterpillar wants to gnaw the edge of a leaf, it twists its body in such a way that at least…

The caterpillar is suspended by a band it weaves itself.

Caterpillars of the Pieris Brassicae

The caterpillar is suspended by a band it weaves itself.

A specimen of the caterpillar which makes their cocoons of silk with other materials.

Small Caterpillar of Pimpernel

A specimen of the caterpillar which makes their cocoons of silk with other materials.

"They select some convenient spot, where they hang themselves up, head downward."

Caterpillars of the Small Tortoise-shell Butterfly (Vanessa Urticae) Undergoing Their Metamorphoses

"They select some convenient spot, where they hang themselves up, head downward."

"To set itself entirely free, the chrysalis alternately lengthens and shortens itself. The old skin gradually pushed upward, until it is considerably shortened."

Chrysalides of the Small Tortoise-shell Butterfly Freeing Themselves from the Caterpillar Skin

"To set itself entirely free, the chrysalis alternately lengthens and shortens itself. The old skin…

A larva of the Sphinx moth, displaying mimicry appearance so as to look aggressive.

Caterpillar

A larva of the Sphinx moth, displaying mimicry appearance so as to look aggressive.

A larva of a moth, displaying mimicry appearance so as to look aggressive.

Caterpillar

A larva of a moth, displaying mimicry appearance so as to look aggressive.

A larva of a moth, displaying mimicry appearance so as to look aggressive.

Caterpillar

A larva of a moth, displaying mimicry appearance so as to look aggressive.

The larva or caterpillar of the butterfly.

Caterpillar

The larva or caterpillar of the butterfly.

A caterpillar on a branch

Caterpillar

A caterpillar on a branch

A caterpillar of the Clisiocampa genus.

Caterpillar

A caterpillar of the Clisiocampa genus.

A cabbage plusia caterpillar crawling on a leaf.

Caterpillar

A cabbage plusia caterpillar crawling on a leaf.

Caterpillar of Notolophus leucostigma.

Caterpillar

Caterpillar of Notolophus leucostigma.

The saddle-back caterpillar of the Empretia stinulea species.

Caterpillar

The saddle-back caterpillar of the Empretia stinulea species.

The saddle-back caterpillar of the Empretia stinulea species.

Caterpillar

The saddle-back caterpillar of the Empretia stinulea species.

The yellow-necked caterpillar.

Caterpillar

The yellow-necked caterpillar.

The yellow-necked caterpillar; eggs.

Caterpillar

The yellow-necked caterpillar; eggs.

The yellow-necked caterpillar; egg.

Caterpillar

The yellow-necked caterpillar; egg.

The yellow-necked caterpillar's parent, the Datana ministra species.

Caterpillar

The yellow-necked caterpillar's parent, the Datana ministra species.

The American tent-caterpillar, a and b, on the outside of their tent near the entrance.

Caterpillar

The American tent-caterpillar, a and b, on the outside of their tent near the entrance.

The American tent-caterpillar, cocoon.

Caterpillar

The American tent-caterpillar, cocoon.

The American tent-caterpillar, egg-mass of an allied species.

Caterpillar

The American tent-caterpillar, egg-mass of an allied species.

The American tent-caterpillar, female moth.

Caterpillar

The American tent-caterpillar, female moth.

Platysamia cecropia. The caterpillar occurring on a great variety of plants, including many of our fruit-trees and certain small fruits. Its green, and has six rather prominent warts on the thoracic segments, of which four are coral-red in color and the hinder two are yellow, sometimes with a reddish tinge.

Emporer Moth Caterpillar

Platysamia cecropia. The caterpillar occurring on a great variety of plants, including many of our fruit-trees…

An illustration of a fallweb worm caterpillar. Fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea, is a moth in the family Arctiidae known principally for its larval stage, where it creates the characteristic webbed nests on the tree limbs of a wide variety of hardwoods in the late summer and fall. It is mainly an aesthetic pest and is not believed to harm otherwise healthy trees. It is well-known to commercial tree services and arboriculturists

Fallweb Worm Caterpillar

An illustration of a fallweb worm caterpillar. Fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea, is a moth in the family…

An illustration of a fallweb worm caterpillar. Fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea, is a moth in the family Arctiidae known principally for its larval stage, where it creates the characteristic webbed nests on the tree limbs of a wide variety of hardwoods in the late summer and fall. It is mainly an aesthetic pest and is not believed to harm otherwise healthy trees. It is well-known to commercial tree services and arboriculturists

Fallweb Worm Caterpillar

An illustration of a fallweb worm caterpillar. Fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea, is a moth in the family…

An illustration of a fallweb worm caterpillar. Fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea, is a moth in the family Arctiidae known principally for its larval stage, where it creates the characteristic webbed nests on the tree limbs of a wide variety of hardwoods in the late summer and fall. It is mainly an aesthetic pest and is not believed to harm otherwise healthy trees. It is well-known to commercial tree services and arboriculturists

Fallweb Worm Caterpillar

An illustration of a fallweb worm caterpillar. Fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea, is a moth in the family…

Front half of a caterpillar. Labels: a, opening air tubes, a pair of which are shown in black at the cut end.

Front Half of a Caterpillar

Front half of a caterpillar. Labels: a, opening air tubes, a pair of which are shown in black at the…

The Caterpillar of a Gypsy Moth eating a leaf.

Gypsy Moth Caterpillar

The Caterpillar of a Gypsy Moth eating a leaf.

Caterpillars are an insect that is cylinder and is divided by rings into 13 segments. The hairy caterpillar is covered in long hairs.

Hairy Caterpillar

Caterpillars are an insect that is cylinder and is divided by rings into 13 segments. The hairy caterpillar…

An illustration of a Io moth caterpillar. The io moth (Automeris io) is a very colorful North American moth in the Saturniidae family. It ranges from the southeast corner of Manitoba and in the southern extremes of Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick in Canada, and in the US it is found from North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, east of those states and down to the southern end of Florida.

Io Moth Caterpillar

An illustration of a Io moth caterpillar. The io moth (Automeris io) is a very colorful North American…

"If the guide stops a moment all the followers halt; if he continues the route, they all hasten after him; if he makes a circuit, they all make the circuit also. Should they find a branch of fresh green leaves, they immediately prepare to feast upon it; the ranks spread themselves upon it, each one touching his neighbor, so that not a part of the branch escapes their depridations." — Goodrich, 1859

Processionary Caterpillars

"If the guide stops a moment all the followers halt; if he continues the route, they all hasten after…

"If the guide stops a moment all the followers halt; if he continues the route, they all hasten after him; if he makes a circuit, they all make the circuit also. Should they find a branch of fresh green leaves, they immediately prepare to feast upon it; the ranks spread themselves upon it, each one touching his neighbor, so that not a part of the branch escapes their depridations." — Goodrich, 1859

Processionary Caterpillars

"If the guide stops a moment all the followers halt; if he continues the route, they all hasten after…

"Besides the rolling and folding caterpillars, there are still those which bind up a good many leaves in one packet. These packets are to be found on nearly every tree and shrub; the caterpillar lying nearly in the middle of the packet, is well sheltered, and surrounded by a good supply of food."

Willow Leaves Rolled by a Caterpillar

"Besides the rolling and folding caterpillars, there are still those which bind up a good many leaves…

"Besides the rolling and folding caterpillars, there are still those which bind up a good many leaves in one packet. These packets are to be found on nearly every tree and shrub; the caterpillar lying nearly in the middle of the packet, is well sheltered, and surrounded by a good supply of food."

Section of Willow Leaves Rolled by a Caterpillar

"Besides the rolling and folding caterpillars, there are still those which bind up a good many leaves…

A large caterpillar with long, skinny horns. Usually a beautiful olive and crimson color.

Royal Horned Caterpillar

A large caterpillar with long, skinny horns. Usually a beautiful olive and crimson color.

A caterpillar with a saddle type pattern on its back.

Saddleback Caterpillar

A caterpillar with a saddle type pattern on its back.

An illustration of a salt-marsh caterpillar.

Salt-marsh Caterpillar

An illustration of a salt-marsh caterpillar.

The caterpillar and chrysalis stages of Pieris rapae, or Small White.

Small White Caterpillar

The caterpillar and chrysalis stages of Pieris rapae, or Small White.

The body is cylinder and divided by rings into thirteen segments. The smooth caterpillars don't have hair.

Smooth Caterpillar

The body is cylinder and divided by rings into thirteen segments. The smooth caterpillars don't have…

Caterpillars are insects that are cylinder and are divided by rings into 13 segments. The spanner caterpillar has legs on the ends, rather than along the entire body. This creates an arch when moving.

Spanner Caterpillar

Caterpillars are insects that are cylinder and are divided by rings into 13 segments. The spanner caterpillar…

An illustration of a tent caterpillar cacoon. Tent caterpillars are moderately sized species in the genus Malacosoma in the moth family Lasiocampidae. Species occur in North America, Mexico, and Eurasia. Twenty-six species have been described, six of which occur in North America. Some species are considered to have subspecies as well. Although most people consider tent caterpillars only as pests due to their habit of defoliating trees, they are among the most social of all caterpillars and exhibit many noteworthy behaviors.

Tent Caterpillar Cocoon

An illustration of a tent caterpillar cacoon. Tent caterpillars are moderately sized species in the…

An illustration of tent caterpillar eggs. Tent caterpillars are moderately sized species in the genus Malacosoma in the moth family Lasiocampidae. Species occur in North America, Mexico, and Eurasia. Twenty-six species have been described, six of which occur in North America. Some species are considered to have subspecies as well. Although most people consider tent caterpillars only as pests due to their habit of defoliating trees, they are among the most social of all caterpillars and exhibit many noteworthy behaviors.

Tent Caterpillar Eggs

An illustration of tent caterpillar eggs. Tent caterpillars are moderately sized species in the genus…

Orgyia leucostigma, the White-marked tussock moth, is a moth in the family Lymantriidae. The caterpillar is very common especially in late summer in eastern North America, as far west as Texas, Colorado, and Alberta. There are two or more generations a year in eastern North America (Wagner 2005). They overwinter in the egg stage. Eggs are laid in a single mass over the cocoon of the female, and covered in a froth (Wagner 2005). Up to 300 eggs are laid at a time. he larvae are brightly coloured, with tufts of hair-like setae. The head is bright red, the body has yellow or white stripes, with a black stripe along the middle of the back. There are bright red defensive glands on the hind end of the back. Four white toothbrush-like tufts stand out from the back, and there is a grey-brown hair pencil at the hind end. Touching the hairs will set off an allergic reaction in many humans (Wagner 2005). Young larvae skeletonize the surface of the leaf, while older larvae eat everything except the larger veins (Rose and Lindquist, 1982). They grow to about 35 mm.

White-marked Tussock Caterpillar

Orgyia leucostigma, the White-marked tussock moth, is a moth in the family Lymantriidae. The caterpillar…

An illustration of the woolly bear caterpillar.

Woolly Bear Caterpillar

An illustration of the woolly bear caterpillar.

An illustration of a yellow woolly bear caterpillar. The Yellow woolly bear caterpillar, Spilosoma virginica, is the larva of the Virginia tiger moth. It has a diet of a wide range of low-growing plants, including ground cover like grass and clover. This species tends to have two to three life cycles per year, with one hibernating for the winter in temperate climates.

Yellow Woolly Bear Caterpillar

An illustration of a yellow woolly bear caterpillar. The Yellow woolly bear caterpillar, Spilosoma virginica,…

Tent caterpillars are moderately sized species in the genus Malacosoma in the moth family Lasiocampidae. Species occur in North America, Mexico, and Eurasia. Twenty-six species have been described, six of which occur in North America. Some species are considered to have subspecies as well. Although most people consider tent caterpillars only as pests due to their habit of defoliating trees, they are among the most social of all caterpillars and exhibit many noteworthy behaviors.

Tent Caterpillars

Tent caterpillars are moderately sized species in the genus Malacosoma in the moth family Lasiocampidae.…

Caterpillar eggs on a branch.

Caterpillar Eggs

Caterpillar eggs on a branch.

The larva Eight-Spotted Forester (Alypia octomaculata), a caterpillar belonging to the Noctuidae family of Owlet moths.

Eight-Spotted Forester Larva

The larva Eight-Spotted Forester (Alypia octomaculata), a caterpillar belonging to the Noctuidae family…

Representation of "the two membranous legs of a large caterpillar, of which the hooks of the feet are fastened into the branch of a shrub."

Membranous Legs of a Large Caterpillar Embracing a Twig

Representation of "the two membranous legs of a large caterpillar, of which the hooks of the feet are…

A moth larva eating fabric.

Moth Larva

A moth larva eating fabric.

The larva of the horn worm.

Moth Larva

The larva of the horn worm.

The Brown-tail (Euproctis chrysorrhoea) is a moth of the family Lymantriidae. It is distributed throughout Europe. The wings of this species are pure white, as is the body, apart from a tuft of brown hairs at the end of the abdomen. The brown colouration extends along most of the back of the abdomen in the male. In the female, the back of the abdomen is white but the tuft of brown hairs is much bigger. Ths wingspan is 36-42 mm. The species flies at night in July and August and is attracted to light.

Brown-tail Moth Web

The Brown-tail (Euproctis chrysorrhoea) is a moth of the family Lymantriidae. It is distributed throughout…

"The Death's-head Moth is the European Acherontia Atropos, a hawk-moth with markings on the thorax resembling a skull or death's head, hence the name. It flies after sunset and emits peculiar sounds somewhat resembling the squeaking of a mouse, produced by the friction of the proboscis against the inner striated coatings of the palpi. It attacks beehives, scatters the bees, and steals the honey."—(Charles Leonard-Stuart, 1911)

Death's Head Moth Caterpillar

"The Death's-head Moth is the European Acherontia Atropos, a hawk-moth with markings on the thorax resembling…