The larval stage of butterflies and moths, built for eating and growing. Most eat leaves and are serious farm pests, though about 1% eat insects. They defend themselves with camouflage, warning colours, toxins taken from plants and, in some species, stinging hairs.
Quick answers
What is it?Insect
Carnivore?No, herbivore
Dangerous?Can be
Some have venomous hairs: the South American Lonomia caterpillar’s venom can cause fatal bleeding in humans.
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Day & night
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?In places
At a glance
Found inWorldwide
ColoursGreen, Brown, Black
SizeTiny
LengthFrom 1 mm up to 14 cm
Legs16
Covered inSkin
Lives alone
Lives for2–4 weeks
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Worldwide, including the Arctic.
- What it eats
- Mostly plant material, often leaves; some eat insects, and clothes moths eat wool.
Did you know
A tobacco hornworm caterpillar grows ten-thousandfold in weight in less than 20 days.
A tobacco hornworm increases its weight ten-thousandfold in less than 20 days.
Monarch caterpillars store poisons from their food plants and keep them as adults.
Often confused with
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