Caterpillars, beautiful and dangerous. Caterpillars that can kill Green caterpillar with

Once in my childhood, at my grandmother’s in the village, I saw an unusual caterpillar - a large, bright green one with orange horns. When I touched it with a twig, the caterpillar released its horns more strongly. I don’t know what kind of butterfly it turned out to be, but the caterpillar was very beautiful. Recently I remembered this episode from my childhood and tried to search the Internet for this caterpillar. Maybe I didn’t remember something so well, but I didn’t find one, but I did find many other interesting and unusual ones. By the way, most beautiful caterpillars have rather plain-looking butterflies...

Among the caterpillars there are simply stunningly beautiful specimens, but the bright coloring most often indicates that these creatures are poisonous. This provides them reliable protection from enemies, but people are curious and strive to hold these cuties in their hands. For example, a caterpillar eucleid butterflies (Sibine stimulea) looks funny: she seems to be wearing a green vest with a hole in the back. At both ends of the larva's body there are a pair of horn-like processes. On these processes there are many stinging hairs, touching which the offender will immediately be struck by poison. The sensations after contact with the eucleid caterpillar are very painful: the affected area swells, a rash and nausea appear. A person can remain in this state for several days. living in Northern and South America.

2. Sibine stimulation

Butterfly caterpillar dipper bear It resembles a zebra in color, only it is painted with black and orange stripes. These cute creatures have a truly brutal appetite, and they feed on plants of the ragus genus, most of which are poisonous. This type of butterfly was even specially distributed in New Zealand, Australia and North America to reduce the number of ragworts growing on the territory. Actually, thanks to this diet, caterpillars become poisonous

3. Ursa rosa

Newly hatched butterfly larva monarch so small that after hatching it can hardly be seen. True, it grows very quickly, feeding exclusively on plants of the genus cottonweed, the milky juice of which is poisonous. Thanks to this, the larvae also become poisonous and inedible for predators. Very soon the monarch danaid caterpillar reaches 5 centimeters in length, and their striped black, white and yellow coloring can already be clearly seen. By the way, the monarch is considered one of the most beautiful butterflies in the world. One of the most famous butterflies in North America, in the 19th century representatives of this species were found in New Zealand and Australia. In Europe, they are common in the Canary Islands and Madeira; during migrations they are recorded in Russia, the Azores, Sweden and Spain, and are found in northern Africa.

4. Monarch.

Caterpillar gypsy moth has on its body, covered with an unimaginable number of hairs, five pairs of red and six pairs of blue spots. The hairs serve mainly for propagation - thanks to them, the larvae are easily picked up and carried by the wind.

However, if the hairs are touched, they will cause painful sensations and skin irritation. The gypsy moth is a real scourge of forest lands; maples, elms and oaks are especially often affected by the caterpillars. The gypsy moth is distributed throughout almost all of Europe, North Africa, temperate latitudes of Asia and North America, the southern regions of Central Asia.

5. Gypsy moth.

Butterfly caterpillar Parasa indetermina family of tearworms does not exceed 1 inch in length, and is colored with longitudinal stripes of orange, yellow and Brown, and a wide purple stripe runs down the back. On the body of the caterpillar there are five pairs of massive processes similar to horns, which are dotted with small hairs with black tips. Touching the larva causes a very unpleasant sensation, as the poisonous tips dig into the skin, causing a rash and itching. The caterpillar feeds on the leaves of dogwood, maple, oak, cherry, apple, poplar and hickory and lives in North and South America.

6. Parasa indetermina

Lophocampa caryae- a black and white caterpillar whose body is covered with many grayish-white hairs. However, these hairs do not pose any danger, since the larva’s weapon is two pairs of black spines located in the front and back of the body, each of which is connected to a poisonous gland. Upon contact with thorns, irritation and rash appear on human skin. These caterpillars are common in southern Canada and the northern regions of the United States and are found between June and September. The larvae live for approximately 8 weeks, feeding on hickory and walnut leaves.

7. Lophocampa caryae

Automeris.io- a very beautiful butterfly of the peacock-eye family, living in North America. Its caterpillar starts life orange, but as it ages it changes to bright green with two stripes of red and white on the sides of its body.

The entire surface of the larva's body is dotted with tufts of hairs, upon touching which the offender will be affected by two types of poison at once, causing severe pain, burning, and inflammation. This caterpillar feeds on the leaves of willow, maple, oak, elm, aspen, cherry and pear, and is found between February and September.

8.Automeris.io

Another representative of the slug family - Euclea delphinii. Its body, flattened at the top, is no more than one inch in length, and is colored mostly green, with two longitudinal orange-red stripes. Like other slugs, this caterpillar's weapon is poisonous spine-like hairs on the back of its body. Upon contact, they dig into the skin, and without medical care it will be difficult for the person. The species lives in the United States, feeding on the leaves of ash, oak, chestnut and some other trees.

9. Euclea delphinii

A few more caterpillars and their butterflies, which I found in the depths of the Internet))

Butterflies from the squad blueberries quite often found in Russia, including Siberia. These butterflies are quite small, but so cute, and the caterpillars are quite ordinary.

10. Cupido arjades

11. Lucaena dispar

Peacock eye- a butterfly that can also often be found in our area. It's a beautiful butterfly, and its caterpillar is also quite interesting.

12. Peacock eye.

Swallowtail considered one of the most beautiful butterflies in Europe ( perhaps I saw a similar caterpillar in childhood). In total, there are 550 species of this beautiful family in the world fauna, inhabiting the temperate zone of Asia, northern Africa, North America, throughout Europe (absent only in Ireland, and in England it lives only in the county of Norfolk). The swallowtail was once one of the most common butterflies in Europe, but is now a rare, declining species and is listed in the Red Book. The decline in the number of this beautiful butterfly is associated, first of all, with the change or complete destruction of its habitats through the use of pesticides and other toxic substances, as well as due to trapping.

13. Swallowtail sailboat

Ursa Caja (Arctia caja) distributed throughout Europe, as well as in Siberia, the Far East, Central and Asia Minor, China, Korea and Japan, and North America. Lives in gardens, wastelands and other open places.

14. Arctia caja

The silver hole (Phalera bucephala) is found in all countries of central and eastern Europe, Scandinavia, the Baltic states, the European part of Russia and Turkey.

15. Phalera bucephala

Small peacock eye, or Night Peacock's Eye (Saturnia pavonia). The wingspan of these butterflies is 50 - 70 mm. Sexual dimorphism is pronounced: in females the background of the hind wings is gray, and in the male it is orange. The butterfly is distributed over most of Europe, Asia Minor, through the entire forest zone of Eurasia to Japan, in the European part of Russia, the Caucasus, Siberia, and the Far East. Inhabits heather heaths, as well as mountain, rocky steppes and deciduous forests.

16. Saturnia pavonia

Heliconid Julia (Dryas Julia) has a bright orange wing color; when at rest, it folds them and becomes like a dry leaf. Distributed in Central and South America. Occurs all year round, sometimes in large quantities.

17. Dryas Julia

Peacock-eye Atlas (Attacus atlas)- a butterfly from the Peacock-eye family is considered one of the largest butterflies in the world; wingspan up to 26 cm, females are noticeably larger than males. Found in tropical and subtropical forests of Southeast Asia, Southern China and from Thailand to Indonesia, Borneo, Java.

18.Attacs atlas.

Butterfly Heliconius melpomene belongs to the Heliconidae family; distributed over a vast area from Mexico to Brazil. Lives in humid forests, flies through copses, but avoids sunny places.

19. Heliconius melpomene

Junonia orithya (Nymphalida orithya); Its habitat is Africa, South and Southeast Asia, India, Australia.

20. Jinonia orithya

And a few more caterpillars...

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The caterpillar is the larva of an insect belonging to the order Lepidoptera - butterflies, moths, moths.

Structure and photo of caterpillars - varieties

The body length of the caterpillar, depending on the variety, can be from a few millimeters to 12 cm. It consists of a body, head, eyes, mouthparts and limbs. On the body, the thoracic and abdominal sections are clearly visible, and on them there are several pairs of legs.

The caterpillar's body consists of segments separated by narrow grooves. The anus is located on the body, and there is a spiracle on the chest.

Most species of caterpillars have three pairs of legs on their chest, each of which has a sole and a claw - while moving, the caterpillar retracts and releases the claws, and five pairs of false abdominal limbs, at the ends of which there are small hooks.

The body is “dressed” in a soft shell, covered, depending on the variety, with outgrowths, hairs or relief formations - cuticles in the form of stars, spines or granules, and the hairs of caterpillars grow individually or in bunches. During their life, caterpillars molt several times.

The head consists of six fused parts that form a capsule. At the bottom of the head there is an occipital foramen, shaped like a heart, and in some species of caterpillars its parietal parts protrude and form “horns”. Antennae grow on the sides of the head.

Caterpillars have 5-6 pairs of eyes - several simple eyes, each of which consists of one lens, arranged in an arc one behind the other or connected into one complex eye of five simple ones.

The caterpillar's mouth is a gnawing apparatus, the upper jaw is powerful - there are teeth with which the insect gnaws or tears food.

Inside the oral apparatus there are tubercles with which the caterpillar chews food, and the glands that produce saliva are a kind of spinning machine - this is how the silkworm caterpillar releases the thread.

Life cycle

Different types of caterpillars live from several weeks to several years. For example, the larvae of butterflies living in the north do not have time to develop during the short summer season; they hibernate until the next one - the horned butterfly, whose habitat is the Arctic, exists as a caterpillar for an average of 13 years.

During the life cycle, amazing metamorphoses occur with caterpillars - from an increase in size and a change in color to the transformation from an individual with bare skin to a furry one and vice versa.

When life cycle comes to an end, the caterpillars pupate, then butterflies hatch from the pupae.

Habitat

For most species of caterpillars, the habitat is the surface of the earth, some species live in water, for example, caterpillars of broad-winged moths, and the larvae of the Hawaiian moth can exist both in air environment, and under water.

According to the conditions of existence, these insect larvae are divided into two categories - hiding and leading a lifestyle in plain sight.

The hidden ones are represented by:

• leafworms - these caterpillars live on trees, existing in twisted leaves;
• frugivores - live in fruits and vegetables;
• by drillers - the habitat of tree trunks and roots;
• miners - the habitat is foliage, branches, fruit and vegetable peels, plant buds - caterpillars make passages;
• gall formers - they cause damage to plant tissues and the appearance of new growths on them;
• living underground;
• aquatic – the habitat is bodies of water.

Leading a free lifestyle, they openly exist on plants; these are mainly caterpillars of large varieties of butterflies.

Nutrition of different types of caterpillars

Once the caterpillar has hatched from the egg, it eats its shell. Then, throughout life, most of species of caterpillars feed on greens and fruits.

According to their feeding method, caterpillars are divided into four types:

• polyphagous - eat any plants;
• oligophages - they eat plants of any one species, for example, swallowtail caterpillars feed only on umbrella plants;
• monophagous - feed exclusively on one plant species, for example, silkworm larvae eat only mulberry foliage
• xylophages - feed on wood.

Moth caterpillars feed on lichens; some species even eat poisonous ergot.

There are species that devour food of animal origin - exfoliated particles of skin, hair, wool, for example, the larvae of house moths that settle in wardrobes.

And the caterpillars of fire butterflies eat only honey and wax.

There are also predator caterpillars, such as the larvae of the bear butterfly and cotton bollworm - they attack weak relatives and eat them.

And the food for the caterpillars of raspberry, sun and fireweed moths are mealybugs - small insects 3-6 mm in size. Caterpillars of bluegills feed on aphids, while moths feed only on insects.

There are varieties that exist together with ants, for example, blueberry caterpillars. They live in anthills and chemically keep the ants under control - they secrete a specific sweet liquid, and even make sounds to attract them.

Caterpillars and man

Most types of caterpillars are safe for humans. But there are also poisonous species. Accidental touching of them causes redness and swelling on human skin, and a rash may appear.

The secretions of some caterpillars cause drowsiness in humans, headaches, increased temperature and blood pressure, and gastrointestinal upset.

Therefore, no matter how tempting it may be to touch beautiful caterpillar, without understanding their varieties, you shouldn’t do this. TO poisonous species include, for example, coquette caterpillars, oak slug larvae, and the “lazy clown.”

Of the most useful to people The most famous is the silk caterpillar, it is also called the silkworm. Its habitat is the northeastern regions of Russia and China, the southern territories of Primorye. Its body length is about 7 cm, it is covered with hairy warts of blue and brown colors, and at the end of the development cycle, this caterpillar turns yellow.

Its food is mulberry foliage. Since the 27th century BC, these caterpillars have been used in sericulture - 9 kg of silk thread is obtained from 100 kg of cocoons.

But there are also species that, while not dangerous to human health, cause harm to him by eating agricultural crops.

Control of caterpillar pests

There are three groups of ways to combat caterpillars devouring crops of vegetables, fruits and vegetables.

Mechanical method - when caterpillars are collected manually, their overwintering clutches are cut off.

One of the most effective methods is to catch them using adhesive-coated belts or traps filled with bait liquid.

Biological method - when on agricultural fields and in orchards attract birds that eat the caterpillars by arranging feeders and birdhouses for the birds.

Caterpillar snake

The chemical method is the most effective, but after some time the caterpillars get used to the composition of the drugs and stop dying, so chemical method alternate with biological.

In dacha conditions, to combat the invasion of caterpillars, infusions of herbs are used - black henbane (it works well against the caterpillars of the ubiquitous cabbage butterfly), hemlock (it is effective against caterpillars attacking fruit trees), peppermint, and elderberry.

In some countries, caterpillars are considered a gastronomic delicacy; gourmets eat caterpillars of about 80 species of butterflies.

They are eaten raw and fried, dried on hot coals, boiled, salted, cooked with them, an omelet is prepared with them, and the caterpillars are used as a base for various sauces.

The color of the caterpillar imitates the colors of the surrounding nature of its habitat - in this way the caterpillars camouflage themselves from their enemies.

The smallest caterpillars on the planet are moth caterpillars different types. For example, at clothes moth The length of a newly hatched larva is 1 mm.

And the longest caterpillar is the Indian peacock butterfly. These are blue-green caterpillars, it seems that their bodies are covered with white dust, they reach 12 cm.

Like any other Living being, the caterpillar takes its place in the planet’s ecosystem and plays an important role in it.

Photo of caterpillar

A caterpillar is the larva of a butterfly, moth or moth - insects from the order Lepidoptera.

Caterpillar - description, characteristics, structure and photo. What does a caterpillar look like?

Torso

The length of the caterpillar, according to the variety, varies from a few millimeters to 12 cm, as in individual specimens of the Saturnia butterfly (peacock eye).

The caterpillar's body consists of a clearly visible head, thoracic, abdominal sections and several pairs of limbs located on the chest and abdomen.

Head

The caterpillar's head is represented by six fused segments, forming a hard capsule. Between the forehead and eyes the area of ​​the cheeks is conventionally distinguished; at the bottom of the head there is the occipital foramen, which looks like a heart.

A round head shape is typical for most caterpillars, although there are exceptions. For example, many have a triangle-shaped head, while other species have a rectangular head.

The parietal parts can protrude strongly above the head, forming a kind of “horns”. Small antennae, consisting of 3 consecutive joints, grow on the sides of the head.

Oral apparatus

All caterpillars are distinguished by a gnawing type of mouthparts. The upper jaws of the insect are well formed: their upper edge contains teeth designed for gnawing or tearing food. Inside there are tubercles that perform the function of chewing food. Salivary glands converted into specific spinning (silk separating) machines.

Eyes

The eyes of caterpillars are a primitive visual apparatus containing a single lens. Typically, several simple ocelli are located one behind the other, in an arc, or they form 1 complex eye merged from 5 simple ones. Plus 1 eye is located inside this arc. Thus, caterpillars have 5-6 pairs of eyes in total.

Torso

The caterpillar's body consists of segments separated by grooves and is covered in a soft shell, which provides the body with maximum mobility. The anus is surrounded by special lobes that have varying degrees of development.

The insect's respiratory organ, the spiracle, is a stigma located on the chest. Only in species living in water are the spiracles replaced by tracheal gills.

Most caterpillars have 3 pairs of thoracic limbs and 5 pairs of false abdominal legs. The abdominal limbs end in small hooks. On each thoracic limb there is a sole with a claw, which the caterpillar retracts or protrudes when moving.

The legs of the caterpillar were peeled off by the moth

There are no completely naked caterpillars: the body of each is covered with various formations - outgrowths, hairs or a well-grown cuticle. Cuticle growths are star-shaped, spines or granules that look like small hairs or bristles. Moreover, the bristles grow in a strictly defined way, characteristic of a particular family, genus and even species.

The outgrowths consist of raised skin formations - tubercles, similar to flat, round or oval warts and spines. Caterpillar hairs are represented by thin individual threads or tufts.

Caterpillar development

Depending on the species, the caterpillar can develop from several weeks to several years. Caterpillars of northern butterfly species do not have time to complete their development cycle in one season, so they hibernate (diapause) until next summer.

For example, a butterfly, living in the Arctic Circle, can remain in the caterpillar stage for up to 12-14 years.

During its development cycle, the caterpillar undergoes not only significant age-related changes in the size and color of the body, but also striking metamorphoses.

For example, the transformation of an almost naked caterpillar into a furry one or vice versa.

At the end of the development cycle, the caterpillar turns into a pupa, from which a butterfly then emerges.

Caterpillars moult

Each caterpillar molts several times during its entire period of existence. To the smallest number Miner caterpillars are susceptible to molting (2 times). The standard number of lines is 4, although individual species molt 5 or 7 times. Unfavourable conditions environment cause a sharp increase in the number of molts, for example, a clothes moth caterpillar can molt from 4 to 40 times. It has also been observed that females molt more often than males.

The caterpillar secretes sweet nectar, which the ant drinks.

Types of caterpillars - photos and names

Among the great variety of different caterpillars, the following varieties are of greatest interest:

• Cabbage caterpillar or cabbage butterfly caterpillar (cabbage white butterfly) (Pieris brassicae)

lives throughout the territory of Eastern Europe, northern Africa to the Japanese islands, and also introduced to South America. The caterpillar is 3.5 cm long, has 16 legs and has a light green body covered with black warts and short black hairs. Depending on the weather, the caterpillar stage lasts from 13 to 38 days. These caterpillars feed on cabbage, horseradish, radishes, turnips, turnips and shepherd's purse. They are considered the main pest of cabbage.

• Moth caterpillar (surveyor) (Geometridae)

characterized by long thin body and undeveloped abdominal legs, due to which it is distinguished by an original method of movement - it bends in a loop, while pulling the abdominal legs towards the pectoral legs. The family includes more than 23 thousand species of moths distributed throughout the world. All types of caterpillars of this family have well-developed muscles, and therefore are able to attach themselves vertically to plants, perfectly imitating broken branches and petioles. The color of the caterpillars is similar to the color of foliage or bark, which additionally serves as an excellent camouflage. They eat tree needles and hazel.

• (Cerura vinula = Dicranura vinula)

lives throughout Europe, Central Asia and northern Africa. Adult caterpillars grow up to 6 cm and are distinguished by a green body with a purple diamond on the back, bordered by a white outline. In case of danger, the caterpillar inflates, takes a threatening pose and sprays out a caustic substance. The insect remains in the caterpillar stage from early summer to September, feeding on the leaves of plants from the willow and poplar families, including the common aspen.

• Redtail caterpillar (Calliteara pudibunda)

found in the forest-steppe zone throughout Eurasia, as well as in Asia Minor and Central Asia. A caterpillar up to 5 cm long is pinkish, brown or gray. The body is densely covered with individual hairs or tufts of hair, at the end there is a tail of protruding crimson-colored hairs. This is a poisonous caterpillar: upon contact with human skin, it causes a painful allergy. These caterpillars eat leaves different trees and shrubs, especially preferring hops.

• Silkworm caterpillar(Bombyx mori) or silkworm

Lives in East Asia: in northern China and Russia, in the southern regions of Primorye. The caterpillar is 6-7 cm long, its wavy body is densely covered with blue and brown hairy warts. After 4 molts, completing the 32-day development cycle, the color of the caterpillar becomes yellow. The food of the silkworm caterpillar is exclusively mulberry leaves. This insect has been actively used in sericulture since the 27th century BC. e.

• Corrosive woodworm caterpillar(Zeuzera pyrina)

from the carpenter family. It is found in all European countries except the Far North, as well as in South Africa, Southeast Asia and North America. It overwinters twice, during which time it changes color from yellow-pink to yellow-orange with black, glossy warts. The length of the insect is 5-6 cm. Caterpillars live inside the branches and trunks of various trees, feeding on their juices.

• Swallowtail caterpillar(Papilio machaon)

lives throughout Europe, Asia, northern Africa and North America. One of the most colorful caterpillars: at first black, with scarlet warts, and as it grows it becomes green with black transverse stripes. Each stripe contains 6-8 red-orange spots. The disturbed caterpillar secretes an odorous orange-yellow liquid. It feeds on celery, wormwood, parsley, and sometimes alder leaves.

The smallest caterpillar in the world is a member of the moth family.

For example, clothes moth caterpillars ( Tineola bisselliella), having just emerged from the egg, reach a length of only 1 mm.

The largest caterpillar in the world- this is the caterpillar of the peacock eye atlas ( Attacus atlas).

The bluish-green caterpillar, as if dusted with white dust, grows up to 12 cm in length.

Caterpillars in the garden, on summer cottage capable of destroying crops. The invasion of voracious pests indicates insufficient attention to preventive measures.

Types of harmful caterpillars

Most leaf-eating insects cause damage to plants. Caterpillars damage leaves, suck out nutritious juice, and cause curling and drying out of the green mass.

The pests overwinter in the leaves; with the onset of spring, a whole horde of hundreds/thousands of eggs and grown individuals safely move onto trees and vegetable crops. Moth, hawthorn, silkworm, cabbage moth, and leaf roller actively destroy plants and reduce yields. If there is a large concentration of butterflies and their larvae, the damage to the farm can be very serious.

Harmful caterpillars in the garden:

• hawthorn. Hairy creature, color – yellow-black. Actively creates nests for the winter, wraps a web around the base of the leaf blade and petiole. On bare fruit trees in the cold season, the web is clearly visible. You must not hesitate to destroy the lacewing caterpillars: up to three thousand individuals can be in one nest;
• goldentail A pest with a bright color, its characteristic color scheme is a combination of black and red-orange. The pest attaches nests to branches, tightly wraps itself around adjacent leaves and internodes, creating a reliable home for the cold season. You also cannot hesitate if the tree is dotted with nests inhabited by hundreds of voracious pests. Cutting off damaged areas together with the “tenants” will save the garden from the invasion of caterpillars;
• leaf roller Dangerous pest Green colour It doesn’t look as scary as the silkworm, goldentail or hawthorn, but it does no less harm. The caterpillar eats leaves, stems, flowers, and destroys the plant almost completely. Leaf rollers twist the greens into a tube, build a nest with a web inside, and feed on the juices of the leaf. Pests actively reproduce: up to three generations can change in a season;
• gypsy moth. Hairy creatures with long hairs are clearly visible on trees. Leaves damaged by pests attract even more attention: often only veins remain of the greenery. The gypsy moth often lives in forests, but when it gets into the garden it causes great damage to fruit trees.

How to get rid of it: effective methods of control

There are several ways to clear your garden, vegetable garden, and flower garden from voracious creatures. The best option– monitor the condition of plants all year round, prevent the invasion of caterpillars, regularly spray the garden and vegetable garden with decoctions with a natural base. If furry, unpleasant-looking creatures have filled the area, traces of activity are clearly visible on the leaves, only an integrated approach will help.

Mechanical methods

Any amateur gardener will cope with the task if he decides to collect pests from the crown or prevent the penetration of wintering caterpillars from the soil. Experienced owners offer several ways to fight.

Proven methods:

• manual collection of pests. The method is effective if there are few caterpillars. It is important to go through all areas of the crown, collect the voracious creatures in a bucket, and then destroy them. It's not a pleasant task, but the result is good. Many gardeners use the method of collecting pests from low plants or dwarf varieties fruit trees;
• glue belt A product with a strange name prevents pests from crawling from the soil to the crown. The method is harmless to the tree. Boil 2 parts of birch tar, pour in 1 part of burdock oil, boil for 2 minutes, remove the mixture from the stove, cool. Apply a thick mixture to the trunks of fruit trees. Pests will not be able to overcome the barrier of sticky mass; the owners will only have to collect the furry creatures from the protective adhesive belt;
• cutting off the nests and oviposition of some pests. The sooner the owner discovers leaves damaged by lacewing, apple moth, and hawthorn, the greater the guarantee that all pests will be collected. It is important to remove leaves before the caterpillars move to open form nutrition.

Biological methods

The fight against the attraction of natural enemies has been practiced for decades. The owners noticed that many birds eat garden pests in large quantities.

If there are not many caterpillars bred, the winged helpers are able to completely clear the area of ​​pests. The owners need to attract birds to the garden, set up titmice, nest boxes, and birdhouses.

Important! Swifts, swallows, titmice, starlings, pied flycatchers, and cuckoos eat not only small, but also large caterpillars with long hairs on their bodies.

Chemicals against caterpillars

Experts consider it the most effective method of combating voracious creatures in the garden. After spraying with toxic drugs, most individuals die.

Unfortunately, the method has downsides:

• the use of chemicals often provokes intoxication in people after eating processed fruits;
• a constant change of insecticides is required: pests get used to the components of the drug, control turns out to be ineffective.

What to do? Select formulations of the latest generations that do not cause resistance in caterpillars. Experienced owners recommend alternating toxic drugs and decoctions of herbal ingredients.

Effective insecticides against caterpillars:

• Karate.
• Aktara.
• Decis Pro.
• Inta – Vir.
• Spark.
• Kinmiks.
• Rovikurt.
• Lightning.
• Ram.
• Sumi is Alpha.
• Fufanon.

Find out the instructions for using the aerosol in the apartment, as well as precautions when using the chemical.

How to get rid of flies in an apartment? Effective methods fight against buzzing insects are described on the page.

Folk remedies and recipes

Spraying fruit and vegetable crops with safe, non-toxic compounds brings only benefits. There are several compounds that destroy/repel smooth and hairy caterpillars.

Proven means:

• decoction of black henbane. The product is used when hawthorn appears, cabbage whites, lacewings. You will need 2.5 kg of chopped plants (leaves and twigs). Pour water over the greens, boil for half an hour, bring the volume to 10 liters, boil again, remove from heat. Let the product sit for 12 hours, strain, add liquid soap or a handful of grated laundry soap. Spray the affected plants 5–6 times when the pests have just appeared;
• decoction from the stems of peppermint. The plant's shoots will be needed during the flowering period. For 2 kg of fresh raw materials, take 10 liters of boiling water, close the bucket with a lid, and let it brew for a day. Remove the green mass, strain, spray garden crops when leaf-eating insects appear;
• red elderberry decoction. Another proven remedy for repelling caterpillars, beetles, slugs, and fly larvae. Finely chop 200 g of stems and leaves, steam in 10 liters of boiling water, leave for 24 hours, strain. For active adhesion to the surface of the leaves, many owners add shavings from laundry soap to a bucket of warm water. Spraying should be done before and after flowering.

When pest caterpillars appear, there is no time to waste: the nests are inhabited by thousands of individuals, ready to gnaw leaves and young shoots. Decoctions with herbal ingredients and proven insecticides will help repel and destroy pests. Gives a good effect mechanical methods control of leaf-eating pests.

The following video talks about an excellent remedy for protecting cabbage from pest caterpillars:

Don't let it deceive you appearance these quirky and adorable caterpillars. Many of them are ready to do anything to protect themselves and their food from predators. Their brightness most often indicates toxicity

Don't let the appearance of these quirky and adorable caterpillars fool you. Many of them are ready to do anything to protect themselves and their food from predators. Their brightness most often indicates toxicity, and the hairs and spines contain a toxic cocktail. Here are some beautiful but dangerous caterpillars that you might want to stay away from.

1. Coquette caterpillar (Megalopyge opercularis)

What does a coquette caterpillar look like? like a miniature furry animal. However, as soon as you touch it, an unpleasant surprise awaits you.

Poisonous spines hidden under its “fur” release poison, causing severe throbbing pain that can radiate to the armpit, five minutes after contact with the caterpillar. Red erymatous spots may appear at the site of contact. Other symptoms include: headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal discomfort, damage to the lymph nodes, sometimes shock or difficulty breathing.

The pain usually subsides after an hour, and the spots disappear after a few days. However, when hit large quantity poison, symptoms can last up to 5 days.

2. Saddle Caterpillar(Sibine stimulea)

The hoary caterpillar attracts attention with its bright colors, and believe me, you better stay away from it. Its fleshy horns are covered with hairs that secrete poison.

Touching them will cause pain similar to a bee sting, swelling, nausea and a rash that will last for several days.

3. Stinging rose caterpillar (Parasa indetermina)

The “stinging rose” caterpillar reaches a length of only 2.5 cm and is distinguished by its bright colors. But besides its yellow and red spots, what attracts the most attention are its spiny tubercles protruding from different sides.

The tips on these tubercles, as one might guess, release poison. If you touch one of them, the ends will break off and you will experience skin irritation.

4. Spiny oak slug caterpillar (Euclea delphinii)

This caterpillar is not as dangerous to humans, although touching it will still cause a rash. This is due to the spiny tubercles located on the back and sides.

As a rule, these caterpillars live on oaks, willows, as well as beech, cherry, maple and other deciduous trees.

5. Caterpillar of the black bear (Tyria jacobaeae)

Some caterpillars become toxic through the plants they eat. And this applies to the caterpillars of the mole bear, which feed on poisonous ragwort.

They eat so much of this plant that in New Zealand, Australia and North America they are used to control the growth of ragwort. This plant is deadly to cattle and horses, but pose a certain health threat to people.

If you are susceptible to caterpillar hairs, touching them can cause hives, atopic asthma, kidney failure and cerebral hemorrhage.

6. Caterpillars of the traveling silkworm (Thaumetopoea pityocampa)

Traveling silkworm caterpillars live in groups in large silken nests high on pine trees.

They follow each other from the nest to the pine needles in search of food. And as you may have guessed, contact with them is dangerous. They are covered with thousands of tiny harpoon-shaped hairs, the touch of which causes severe skin irritation.

7. Bag caterpillar (Ochrogaster lunifer)

Just like the caterpillars of the traveling silkworm, these representatives live in groups in a silk bag, emerging at night and following each other in search of food. However, the danger from them is greater.

In South America they pose a health risk. The venom contained in their bristles is a powerful anticoagulant. This means that if you accidentally touch them, you risk bleeding from a small cut or internal bleeding.

8. Saturnia io caterpillar (Automeris io)

This caterpillar is native to Canada and the United States, and although it looks like an adorable little thing with green spiked pom-poms, remember that they are for viewing only.

No matter how tiny their spines may seem, the poison they contain can cause painful itching and even dermatitis.

9. Witch moth caterpillar (Phobetron pithecium)

If you thought the coquette caterpillar looked rather unusual, admire this furry creature. The witch moth caterpillar, also called the slug monkey, is often found in orchards.

People vary in their susceptibility to these caterpillars, and for some they cause unpleasant symptoms, including itching and rashes.

10. Hickory Bear Caterpillar (Lophocampa caryae)

It seems as if these caterpillars are dressed in winter fur coats. Most of the hairs covering their body are fairly harmless, but they do have four long black hairs on the front and back that should be avoided.

Touching them leads to a rash and more serious health problems if the hairs get into the eyes. Plus, they still bite.

11. Lazy clown caterpillar (Lonomia obliqua)

This peacock butterfly caterpillar can safely be called a killer caterpillar. Its thorns are filled with poison, a coagulant - an anti-clotting substance, which can lead to the death of a person.

Light touching of these caterpillars can lead to headache, fever, vomiting and, if left untreated, internal bleeding. renal failure and hemolysis.

Their venom is so powerful that scientists are studying it in hopes of developing a drug that prevents blood clots.

12. White cedar moth caterpillar (leptocneria reducta)

This caterpillar already inspires fear with its appearance. The hairs of this tiny crawling "cactus" can cause an allergic, itchy reaction in some people.

In addition, the caterpillars themselves live in large groups, swarming the tree at the same time, eating every single leaf before moving on.

13. Saturnia Maya caterpillar (Hemileuca maia)

One look at this caterpillar should discourage you from touching it. It is covered with hollow spines attached to a venom sac, and touching it will not only cause itching and burning, but will also lead to nausea.

They live mainly on oaks and willows from spring to mid-summer.

14. Caterpillar (Orgyia leucostigma)

This caterpillar is easy to spot because of its red head, black back, and yellow stripes on its sides. In addition to the fact that this caterpillar stings unpleasantly, it is considered a pest of trees, eating everything woody in its path.

But try to remove it from the power source, and you will be in trouble. published