News tagged with caterpillars

Winged predators seek certain trees when foraging for caterpillars

Location matters for birds on the hunt for caterpillars, according to researchers at UC Irvine and Wesleyan University. Findings suggest that chickadees and others zero in on the type of tree as much as the characteristics ...

Biology / Plants & Animals

created Jan 26, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Researchers discover 'green' pesticide effective against citrus pests

University of Florida researchers have discovered a key amino acid essential for human nutrition is also an effective insecticide against caterpillars that threaten the citrus industry.

Biology / Ecology

created Jan 17, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 1

Researchers document caterpillars that mimic one another for survival

(PhysOrg.com) -- In the world of insects, high risk of attack has led to the development of camouflage as a means for survival, especially in the larval stage. One caterpillar may look like a stick, while another disguises ...

Biology / Plants & Animals

created Dec 15, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

New butterfly species identified in Yucatan peninsula

About 160,000 species of butterflies and moths are already known, but scientists believe that a similar number still remain undiscovered. Identification and characterization of these species can be complicated by the fact ...

Biology / Plants & Animals

created Nov 23, 2011 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Chemical weapon in spider silk repels ant attack: study

Researchers have shown for the first time how Golden orb web spiders (Nephila antipodiana) add a chemical to their web silk to repel invading ants.

Biology / Plants & Animals

created Nov 23, 2011 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (4) | comments 5 | with audio podcast

Parasitoid larvae in caterpillars affect behaviour of moths

(PhysOrg.com) -- Parasitoid larvae that feed within caterpillars that eat cabbage plants influence the plant via the caterpillar, making the cabbage plant an unattractive prospect for moths looking for a spot ...

Biology / Plants & Animals

created Nov 16, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Misleading morphology: Three European parasitoid wasp 'species' are seasonal forms of just one

Three widely differing forms of European Scambus parasitoid wasps that had previously been regarded as distinct species are shown to be seasonal morphs of a single species. The collaboration involved National ...

Biology / Plants & Animals

created Oct 26, 2011 | popularity not rated yet | comments 1

New bacteria toxins against resistant insect pests

Toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis bacteria (Bt toxins) are used in organic and conventional farming to manage pest insects. Sprayed as pesticides or produced in genetically modified plants, Bt toxins, us ...

Biology / Biotechnology

created Oct 19, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Insect gut microbe with a molecular iron reservoir

Microbes are omnipresent on earth. They are found as free-living microorganisms as well as in communities with other higher organisms. Thanks to modern biological techniques we are now able to address the ...

Chemistry / Biochemistry

created Sep 01, 2011 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Researchers identify insect resistance to Bt pesticide

For the first time, researchers have identified how cabbage looper caterpillars in the field develop resistance to the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which naturally occurs in the soil and on plants ...

Biology / Plants & Animals

created Aug 30, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

Low oxygen triggers moth molt

A new explanation for one of nature's most mysterious processes, the transformation of caterpillars into moths or butterflies, might best be described as breathless.

Biology / Plants & Animals

created Aug 22, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Flower power puts a hurt on caterpillars

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists in Peoria, Ill., are investigating the pest-fighting potential of anthocyanins, healthful chemical compounds in the form of plant pigments that give blueberries, plums, grapes ...

Biology / Plants & Animals

created Aug 16, 2011 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Barcodes refocus understanding of ecosystems

You're probably familiar with barcodes, those black and white stripes on most store items that bring about the familiar "beep" when scanned at checkout. They determine whether a scanned item is a gallon of ...

Biology / Biotechnology

created Aug 12, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Mortal combat is the rational choice for wasps

(PhysOrg.com) -- Males of an unusual group of wasps fight to the death over females, even if they've already mated or are competing with their own brothers, a new study shows. The behaviour was seen in parasitoid ...

Biology / Plants & Animals

created Aug 09, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 3 | with audio podcast

Termites' digestive system could act as biofuel refinery

One of the peskiest household pests, while disastrous to homes, could prove to be a boon for cars, according to a Purdue University study.

Biology / Biotechnology

created Jul 05, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 3 | with audio podcast

Caterpillar

Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths). They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture. Many moth species are better known in their caterpillar stages because of the damage they cause to fruits and other agricultural produce.

The etymological origins of the word are from the early 16th century, from Middle English catirpel, catirpeller, probably an alteration of Old North French catepelose: cate, cat (from Latin cattus) + pelose, hairy (from Latin pilōsus).

For more information about Caterpillar, read the full article at Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.