The caterpillar is a cylindrical insect that metamorphoses into an elegant butterfly.
It’s a member of the Lepidoptera order and is the larval stage of the butterfly’s life cycle.
There are more than 20000 species of caterpillars all around the globe; this explains the never-ending patterns, mesmerizing colors, and variable sizes of moths and butterflies! Biodiversity is truly nature’s most valuable gift to us.
Caterpillars have soft bodies, and they are vigorous eaters. It takes only a few weeks for them to size up.
They feed on several plants and a few small insects. Most animals feed on caterpillars as their bodies are rich in protein sources.
The appearance of a caterpillar usually scares its predators. Some of them have venomous outer legs too!
Let’s find out what these heavy snackers like to feed on for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!
Table of Contents
What Is a caterpillar?
A caterpillar is the larval stage of a butterfly or moth, with three pairs of proper legs, multiple appendages, and a gooey wormlike body.
It’s the second stage of a four-stage life cycle, starting from the egg, larva, the pupa and ending as an adult.
How Does the Feeding Behavior of a Caterpillar Work?
Caterpillars hatch from their egg shells and turn into pupae before transitioning into moths or butterflies. Approximately 20,000 species of caterpillars are found in all parts of the globe.
The plants that a caterpillar feeds on are called host plants. Caterpillars munch on the host plant daily until one day, they decide to halt their ingestion. That’s when they choose to hang in an upended fashion on a twig and envelope themselves in silky threads to form a cocoon.
Once the caterpillars are released from their cocoons, they metamorphose into a butterfly.
Butterflies feed on nectar plants.
Butterflies lay eggs on some nectar plants, which some caterpillar species devour as food.
Caterpillars eat a lot of stuff, from fruits and vegetables to dead matter. These species are heavy feeders with an almost insatiable appetite.
Generalist Feeders and Specialist Feeders
All herbivorous caterpillars can be divided into two main categories.
The generalist feeders enjoy feeding on multiple plant types.
For example, the Black Swallowtail caterpillar will feed on parsley, Queen Anne’s lace, fennel, carrot, and dill. Similarly, a Mourning cloak caterpillar will feed on willow, aspen, cottonwood, hackberry, and elm.
On the other hand, specialist caterpillars are choosy and restrict their diet to a specific related plant group. For example, the Monarch caterpillar will feed only on milkweed plants, while the Silkworms will feed on mulberry plants.
Moreover, some caterpillars are categorized as omnivorous, and others as predatory. However, cannibalistic caterpillars are relatively rare and eat small-sized insects such as aphids. They sometimes feed on dead animals, poop, or decomposed plant matter as well.
Primary food sources for caterpillars
There are several plant species that most caterpillar species like to feed on. They include Mustard, Hackberry, Violets, Monkey flowers, Red bay, Passion vines, Tulips, and Cherry.
The different species of caterpillars have diverse tastebuds; each has a unique food preference.
Oak trees are considered to be universal caterpillar food. There are also multiple other kinds of food items that caterpillars will happily munch on.
Leaves
Most caterpillars keep munching the plants’ leaves until they are ready to pupate at a fixed spot. Moreover, the eggs that the butterflies lay on these leaves form a staple food item for these heavy snackers.
Even though it does vary from species to species, most butterflies and caterpillars would enjoy feeding on plants. For example, the Red admiral feeds on nettles, whereas the American-painted lady devours the pearly everlasting.
Conversely, Snout butterflies feed on hackberry, and Skippers feed on panic grass.
Flowers
An excellent example of a flower-eating caterpillar is the Star-worth caterpillar. It feeds on all kinds of flowers but finds the Aster flower (abundant on the salt marches) incredibly delicious. However, caterpillars munch on the buds of flowers before they can fully blossom, which can lead to a scarcity of flower blooms in your garden. Other species also feed on the seeds and petals of the flowers.
Grass
The Meadow brown, Gatekeeper, and Skipper family caterpillars like easy-to-digest foods such as wild grass or the grass growing in your backyard.
Beware! These snack-loving creatures can severely damage the grass nodes.
Red Ants
Some animals are more mischievous than others, and the Large Blue Butterfly Caterpillar steals the limelight for this category!
This particular species has an exceptionally unique life cycle. It begins to grow on flower petals, Marjoram, and Wild thyme buds before falling to the ground.
Once it’s grounded, it emits a sweet scent that encourages the ants to carry these witty insects to their nests.
This cunning caterpillar then pulls out a reverse Uno card and starts eating the ant grubs!
It chooses to stay underground and protected during metamorphosis.
Eventually, a fully grown, winged moth emerges from the dead remains of the naive red ants!
Honeycombs
Similar to human babies, some little caterpillars are born with a sweet tooth.
The Wax moth invades the beehives to lay its eggs in a honeycomb. When the tiny caterpillars come out of their eggs, they start feeding on the sweet, decadent honey.
The bees are busy social insects and don’t notice these tiny larvae among their own. Little do they know that these tiny creatures possess the ability to invade the entire bee hive community!
Animal waste
Some notorious caterpillar species also feed on animal waste and dead matter. One example is the Skin Moth caterpillar that feeds on dead mice, birds, and poop of specific bird species such as owls.
Ew!
This behavior might come off as despicable and appalling, but it is perhaps one of the most noble services an insect could provide to the ecosystem!
These little insects help the environment by eliminating the dead remains of the animals and wiping out their dirt and gunk. Without these caterpillars, we would probably be drowning in an ocean of waste!
Fabrics
All moths do not eat clothes, but some certainly enjoy creating massive holes on your favorite cotton T-shirts!
There are very few moth species whose caterpillar versions eat clothes and fibers. Sometimes, even a ball of dirty wool might prove to be an appetizer for them.
If you’ve encountered a chewed-up version of your luxury woolen sweaters, there might just be a caterpillar or moth invading your wardrobe!
Fruits and vegetables
Most caterpillars like to eat all sorts of moisture-containing fruits and vegetables, such as corn, cabbage, apples, lettuce, pears, bananas, pumpkins, and many others.
The moisture and juice in the fruits attract caterpillars.
Bark and Twigs
Most caterpillars like eating moist food products, but some can handle dry foods such as barks and twigs.
The Lunar Hornet moth caterpillar once bore holes in living wood and kept feeding on the dry bark for at least two years before it emerged as an adult moth.
These caterpillars leave detrimental impacts on the trees and are exceptionally good at camouflaging themselves (which makes them all the more cunning).
If you decide to cut the bark of your home-grown tree on a fine sunny day, there’s a possibility that you might find an entire family of caterpillars feeding on its structure!
Omnivorous
The Rosy Moth Marbled caterpillar is one of the few omnivorous species that doesn’t just rely on plant matter but also likes to appetize on dead or alive insects.
This little fellow starts feeding on flower petals, but as it grows, it becomes less picky and tries all sorts of cuisines. It also exhibits cannibalistic behavior during the drought period!
How can I feed a caterpillar?
Caterpillars are not pets; however, if you have to feed one, you must be cautious about how much food it requires to grow healthy. A caterpillar needs a lot of moisture-containing food items, such as plant matter, fruits, or red ants.
You should not feed dead or wilted food from the previous day to the caterpillar.
Also, please make sure the leaves or fruit you’re offering this little green fellow should be pure of pesticides, as it can result in the death of this metamorphosing creature.
Do caterpillars eat each other?
A few caterpillar species are carnivorous, which means they can eat meat or, more specifically, each other!
A well-known evolutionist explained this phenomenon as the survival of the fittest.
Most multi-legged caterpillars eat their blood and brothers to replenish their nutrient demand and survive against all odds.
Only the strongest caterpillar will be able to survive.
However, these cannibalistic acts are rare and are only seen during periods of famine or drought.
Dun-bar caterpillars typically feed on leaves and plant matter, but they also feed on their own kind if their paths cross!
Is the diet of a captive and wild caterpillar different?
These larval butterflies feed on plant matter in the wild. They don’t typically have any preferences but eat whatever plant species surround their habitat.
On the other hand, a captive caterpillar enjoys the perks of a healthy diet that includes fruits, vegetables, barks, etc.
Some species are very particular about eating; for example, a silkworm only feeds on mulberry foliage.
Ask Away: FAQs
Can I eat a caterpillar?
Caterpillars in South Africa, China, East Asia, and Botswana are harvested and served as a delicacy. However, only a few species are edible.
Do caterpillars bite?
Yes, some varieties of caterpillars do bite.
The good news is most of the time, the reaction to a caterpillar sting stays on the mild side. It usually shows as a red spot, a little bigger than a mosquito bite. However, a few species have poisonous legs.
What does a baby caterpillar eat?
Caterpillar is the baby of a grown butterfly. A fully grown caterpillar is considered an infant in its species—the smaller ones like eating food with more moisture.
Is a butterfly just a pretty caterpillar?
Butterflies and caterpillars are the same insects, just in different developmental stages. After eating and covering itself in a cocoon, a caterpillar turns into a beautiful-hued butterfly with wings.
