Caterpillar Debunking Misconceptions

Myth 1: They eat plants

In fact, caterpillars are vitally important to the ecosystem. As University of Delaware professor Doug Tallamy points out in his book Nature’s Best Neighbor (affiliate link), native plants that serve as host plants for butterflies and moths attract and support their caterpillars. Without caterpillars, birds lack a key food source for their young.

Scientists have discovered that some plants can hear when they are being eaten by caterpillars and respond with mechanical responses at the cellular level. But this does not equate to the kind of suffering that animals or humans feel, and it would be mistaken to anthropomorphize the response as a form of pain.

When planting your garden, choose native plants that serve as butterfly and moth host plants. Be sure to include powerhouse plants like milkweed, sassafras, violets and asters.

Myth 2: They don’t care about plants

https://peaksfabrications.com/aftermarket-caterpillar-parts-debunking-misconceptions.html Despite the fact that they are devouring our native plants, caterpillars still provide valuable benefits to ecosystems. They are the bees’ and butterflies’ sugary snacks, bringing pollen and nectar to flowers. Native species such as native honeysuckle, blackberry, and asters benefit from caterpillar visitations. In contrast, invasive species such as Japanese barberry (Berbera japonica), hemlock, privet (Ligustrum species), and Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) are pollinator magnets, but also attract caterpillars.

Caterpillars have taste receptors in their feet that help them determine whether a host plant has toxins that would harm their offspring. They also use silk to suspend a chrysalis or construct a cocoon. Inchworms, which have fewer prolegs, move by pulling their hind ends forward in contact with their thorax and then extending their front end. Some caterpillars use camouflage to impersonate twigs or tree bark, while others warn predators of their danger with bright colors and “startle markings” such as eyespots and a stink gland behind their heads.

Myth 4: They don’t need water

Caterpillars need water to grow and to survive. The amount of water needed depends on the weather, but they do require it.

If you are lucky enough to have butterflies in your yard, make sure to keep caterpillars alive so they can make it to the butterfly stage. You can also attract butterflies to your garden by planting plants with flat-topped, colorful blooms or clustered with short, tubular flowers (such as zinnias and butterfly weed).

To help protect your garden from caterpillars, consider applying products such as spinosad or pyrethrins that kill tent caterpillars on contact. These products can be used safely if sprayed when bees are not present and when children and pets are not near the garden. Be sure to follow the label instructions for use.