By Obiabin Onukwugha
Caterpillars are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths).
Since they are larval stage of moths and butterflies, it is believed that caterpillars spend most part of their life eating. Some scientists believe that they eat as much as 27,000 times their actual body size.
Caterpillars have only six true legs and their movements are wave-like. The other legs are not actually legs; they are called pro legs, and are meant to help a caterpillar make its way through plant surfaces. The prolegs may number up to 10, and they have some small hooks that help them hold on to the surfaces without slipping and falling.
Caterpillars, called “Awa” in Igbo, “Ìdin labalábá” in Yoruba, have been the target of pest control through the use of pesticides, biological control and agronomic practices. However, many species have become resistant to pesticides.
Most caterpillars species eat plant material (often leaves), but not all. Some (about 1%) eat insects, and some are even cannibalistic. Some feed on other animal products. For example, clothes moths feed on wool, and horn moths feed on the hooves and horns of dead ungulates.
Caterpillars can’t mate and reproduce. The time it takes for a caterpillar to turn into a butterfly, also known as the pupation period, can vary greatly depending on the species. However, on average, it typically takes about 10 to 14 days for this transformation to occur.
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Caterpillars are typically voracious feeders and many of them are among the most serious of agricultural pests. In fact, many moth species are best known in their caterpillar stages because of the damage they cause to fruits and other agricultural produce, whereas the moths are obscure and do no direct harm. Conversely, various species of caterpillar are valued as sources of silk, as human or animal food, or for biological control of pest plants.
Caterpillars are ecologically important because they help with pollination, nutrient recycling, and food for wildlife. Caterpillars are an important source of food for many organisms, including birds, mammals, reptiles, and other insects. They provide a high-quality source of protein and fat, which is important for the growth and survival of these animals.
Caterpillars produce silk through specialized structures known as spinnerets, located at the rear end of their abdomen. These spinnerets are connected to silk glands that secrete a liquid protein which hardens into silk threads when exposed to air. While both moth and butterfly caterpillars produce silk, their usage can vary.
Caterpillars undergo a remarkable growth process, increasing their weight by up to 10,000 times from the time they hatch until they are ready to pupate. This impressive weight gain is achieved through a series of molts, or ecdysis, during which the caterpillar sheds its old exoskeleton to accommodate its rapidly expanding body. Typically, a caterpillar molts between 4 to 6 times, each time growing larger and more developed. This continuous process allows them to consume large amounts of food, store energy, and build the necessary resources for their dramatic transformation into a pupa, and eventually, a fully formed butterfly.
Caterpillars became a symbol for social dependents in traditional cultures due to their behavioural pattern. Shakespeare’s “Bolingbroke” described King Richard’s friends as “The caterpillars of the commonwealth, which I have sworn to weed and pluck away”.
Famously, in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, a caterpillar asks Alice “Who are you?”. When Alice comments on the caterpillar’s inevitable transformation into a butterfly, the caterpillar champions the position that in spite of changes it is still possible to know something, and that Alice is the same Alice at the beginning and end of a considerable interval.
When the Caterpillar asks Alice to clarify a point, she replied, “I’m afraid I can’t put it more clearly… for I can’t but understand it myself, to begin with, and being so many different sizes in a day is very confusing”.
