Cremaster

The cremaster is used to attach the hind end of a buterfly or moth's pupa to a twig or other structure. The cremaster can be a series of small hooks or just a single larger hook. Often the caterpillar spins a pad of silk on to the pupation site providing an area that the hooks of the cremaster can attach.

A photograph of the pupae of the Large Copper butterfly attached to the pupation site using the cremaster.

Related terms

• Blues
• Browns
• Caterpillar
• Chrysalis
• Lepidoptera
• Pupa

Related groups of terms

• Insect life cycles

Related pages on this web site

• Butterflies and Moths - Order Lepidoptera

See other words beginning with C