Caterpillar

Caterpillars are the larvae of butterflies and moths. Most species of butterfly and moth have four caterpillar instars (stages). Caterpillars predominantly feed on vegetable matter and in some species the adult insects do not feed at all.

Brown-tail moth caterpillar (Euproctis chrysorrhoea). The hairs can cause a skin rash.

Related terms

• Blues
• Browns
• Chrysalis
• Cocoon
• Complete metamorphosis
• Cremaster
• Endopterygota
• Eruciform
• Food plant
• Frass
• Geometer
• Herbivore
• Instar
• Larva
• Leaf miner
• Lepidoptera
• Life stage
• Psychidae
• Woolly bear

Related groups of terms

• Insect life cycles

Related pages on this web site

• Butterflies and Moths - Order Lepidoptera
• Caterpillar caresheet
• Insect life cycles

See other words beginning with C