Everything You Want to Know About Butterfly Caterpillars

Q: What do caterpillars eat?

Caterpillar Eating Leaf Caterpillars are picky eaters! Most are specialists, meaning they've evolved to eat only specific plants, called host plants. For example, Monarch caterpillars only eat milkweed. Other butterflies prefer different host plants. Want to learn more about what caterpillars eat and how to attract butterflies to your garden? Read our article, Secrets of Caterpillar Nutrition for a Butterfly-Filled Garden.

Q: How caterpillars protect themselves

Nature's camouflage at its finest. This is a Giant Swallowtail caterpillar, not bird droppings! Butterfly caterpillars have some clever ways to stay safe! They use camouflage, mimicry (like looking like bird poop or having fake eyes!), release bad-tasting chemicals, and even hide inside folded leaves. Want to learn more about how these amazing creatures protect themselves? Check out our article How Butterfly Caterpillars Protect Themselves.

Q: How do caterpillars find food?

Monarch Caterpillar Hatching on Milkweed Leaf Caterpillars have a few clever tricks for finding food! Many are born right on their host plant, thanks to butterflies laying eggs there. They also use their sense of smell to detect the scent of their favorite plants. Some even have a sense of taste in their feet! Want to learn more about how caterpillars find food? Check out our article Secrets of Caterpillar Nutrition for a Butterfly-Filled Garden.

What do caterpillars eat?

Small Caterpillar — Caterpillar Eating Leaf

Caterpillars are picky eaters! Most are specialists, meaning they’ve evolved to eat only specific plants, called host plants. For example, Monarch caterpillars only eat milkweed. Other butterflies prefer different host plants. Want to learn more about what caterpillars eat and how to attract butterflies to your garden? Read our article, Secrets of Caterpillar Nutrition for a Butterfly-Filled Garden.

How do caterpillars grow?

Caterpillars Grow by Shedding their Skin — a Process Called Molting. Since their exoskeleton can’t expand, they grow a new, larger one underneath and then wriggle out of the old one. Each stage between molts is called an instar. Want to learn more about this fascinating process? Check out our article Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Butterfly Caterpillars.

How caterpillars protect themselves

caterpillar looks like bird poop — Nature’s camouflage at its finest. This is a Giant Swallowtail caterpillar, not bird droppings!

Butterfly caterpillars have some clever ways to stay safe! They use camouflage, mimicry (like looking like bird poop or having fake eyes!), release bad-tasting chemicals, and even hide inside folded leaves. Want to learn more about how these amazing creatures protect themselves? Check out our article How Butterfly Caterpillars Protect Themselves.

How do caterpillars know when to turn into a butterfly?

It’s not quite as simple as “knowing”! Caterpillars transform based on a combination of internal cues (like hormones) and external factors (like reaching a certain size or the right temperature/day length). Essentially, they’re programmed to change when the time is right in their development. Want to learn more about the fascinating process of metamorphosis? Check out our article The Amazing Butterfly Life Cycle.

How do caterpillars find food?

small caterplillar emerging from egg — Monarch Caterpillar Hatching on Milkweed Leaf

Caterpillars have a few clever tricks for finding food! Many are born right on their host plant, thanks to butterflies laying eggs there. They also use their sense of smell to detect the scent of their favorite plants. Some even have a sense of taste in their feet! Want to learn more about how caterpillars find food? Check out our article Secrets of Caterpillar Nutrition for a Butterfly-Filled Garden.