The Book of Caterpillars

The Book of Caterpillars A Life-size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World Caterpillars—the immature stage of moths and butterflies—are diverse and remarkable, with an extraordinary range of survival techniques that have helped make the Lepidoptera one of the most successful insect groups. After beetles, it is the second largest order on the planet; at least 160,000 species have been identified and described,with thousands more undescribed. Lepidoptera are also very widespread, occupying every continent except Antarctica, in habitats ranging from rocky mountain slopes to tropical rain forests, and from waste ground to woollen clothes. Their ecological significance, too, is immense. As larvae, they are mostly prodigious herbivores, hosts for parasitic flies and wasps, and potential food for birds, reptiles, and mammals. As adults, they are vital pollinators.