Which caterpillar turns into a butterfly

Caterpillars: Both moths and butterflies are caterpillars in the larval stage, and many moth caterpillars can be described as fuzzy, although not all.

No butterfly caterpillars are considered fuzzy. Io Moth fuzzy caterpillar, B. Monarch butterfly sleek and smooth caterpillar. Pupa: In the pupa stage, moths create a cocoon, which is wrapped in a silk covering. Butterflies create a chrysalis, which is hard, smooth and is not silky. Not all moths create a cocoon though. The tomato hornworm, for example, creates a pupation chamber in the ground instead.

Black swallowtail butterfly with smooth chrysalis, B. Tiger moth cocoon with silk covering. Wings: Moths usually land with wings spread, whereas butterflies tend to land with their wings folded back. Moth with wings spread, B. Monarch butterfly with wings folded back. Body shape: Moth bodies are most often shorter, fatter and have thicker hair than butterfly bodies, which are usually longer, skinnier and have longer legs. Aphrodite fritillary butterfly with thinner body, B. Sphinx moth with thicker body shape.

The fact that each species is unique makes identification a challenge, but it also proves how incredibly awesome the natural world is. Then the next question is, how do the staff helping with tagging know the difference? There are two very simple ways to tell apart a male and female monarch Read More ». We get a lot of questions at the Dickinson County Nature Center, and a lot of them have to do with butterflies and bees.

How long do monarch butterflies live? A monarch is in the egg stage for three-five days, Read More ». Butterflies definitely seem to be more popular than moths, but moths are actually more populous than butterflies. In the United States, there are about species of butterflies and 11, species of moths. Can you tell the difference between butterflies and moths? We stress that it is important to plant milkweed because it is the only plant that monarch butterflies lay their eggs on and that their caterpillars eat.

However, some people have come to us confused that monarch caterpillars are eating the dill in their yard. We also love butterfly crafts! Plus, you can glue them to a magnet Read More ». Moth balls. Moths flying out of old trunks in the attic.

Females lay a lot of eggs at once so that at least some of them survive. The next stage is the larva. This is also called a caterpillar if the insect is a butterfly or a moth. The job of the caterpillar is to eat and eat and eat. As the caterpillar grows it splits its skin and sheds it about 4 or 5 times. Food eaten at this time is stored and used later as an adult.

Caterpillars can grow times their size during this stage. For example, a monarch butterfly egg is the size of a pinhead and the caterpillar that hatches from this tiny egg isn't much bigger. But it will grow up to 2 inches long in several weeks. When the caterpillar is full grown and stops eating, it becomes a pupa.

The pupa of butterflies is also called a chrysalis. Depending on the species, the pupa may suspended under a branch, hidden in leaves or buried underground. The pupa of many moths is protected inside a coccoon of silk. This stage can last from a few weeks, a month or even longer. Some species have a pupal stage that lasts for two years.

It may look like nothing is going on but big changes are happening inside. Special cells that were present in the larva are now growing rapidly. Everything about them — from their startling turquoise-green bodies arrayed with black spikes to their prickly orange horns — can invoke fear in the uninitiated. Turns out it's all a ruse. These giants, found in eastern U. After feasting on the leaves of hickory, ash, persimmon, sycamore, and walnut trees, they burrow a few inches into the ground in late summer.

They're one of the few moth caterpillars that don't spin cocoons. The following summer, they emerge as ravishing orange, gray, and cream-colored regal moths, with an impressive six-inch wingspan. Come spring, female monarchs begin laying their eggs exclusively on milkweed plants. Once hatched, these strikingly striped orange, black, and white caterpillars devour their nutrient-rich egg shell and begin gorging on milkweed leaves. In the process, they also ingest toxins called cardenolides that don't harm them but are poisonous to predator birds.

Within two weeks they've bulked up to 3, times their original size. After this food fest, mature caterpillars attach themselves to a leaf or stem, transform into a chrysalis, and emerge a few days later as the familiar orange-, black-, and white-winged beauties that are so beloved.

Each fall, monarchs embark on a massive migration to their wintering grounds in Mexico and along the California coastline. You might be tempted to pet one of these fluff balls, but that would be a big mistake. The puss caterpillar is one of the most venomous in the U. Underneath that toupee-like fur are hidden toxic spines that stick to the skin. Just one touch can unleash excruciating pain far worse than a bee sting.

Symptoms may include swelling, headaches, fever, nausea and vomiting, and even shock or respiratory distress. The more mature the caterpillar, the worse the sting. Puss caterpillars eventually become Southern flannel moths with yellow, orange, and creamy fur on their wings, legs, and bodies.

These formidable looking caterpillars feed on the leaves of several species of passion flower Passiflora. But this dietary preference isn't just about nutrition; it's also about predator protection.

Passion flower contains toxic, bitter-tasting psychoactive alkaloids. By munching these plants, zebra longwing caterpillars become foul-tasting and toxic, too — an idea that's visually reinforced via their black spots and long black spines. These imposing creatures are common throughout Central America, Mexico, Florida, and Texas and eventually transform into alluring butterflies known for their long, narrow wings adorned with black and pale yellow stripes.

It's not hard to see how this caterpillar got its name: It's all in the neon green "saddle" on its back, edged in white with a purplish-brown oval spot in the center. Vibrant colors are yet another way Mother Nature sends a warning.

These crazy looking critters, found throughout the eastern U. Beware their four lobes of poisonous spines — two in front and two in back — as well as several smaller stinging protrusions lining their sides.