Why caterpillars are important

Creating a diverse garden, prioritizing native species in particular, will provide essential habitat for caterpillars and ensure a system of checks and balances. Diversity in plants means a diversity in overall species, including those that prey on caterpillars. Doug Tallamy , entomologist and author, offers myriad ways that caterpillars are the ideal food source for birds, including a source of carotenoids. Caterpillars contain twice as many carotenoids as other insects. Carotenoids stimulate the immune system, serve as antioxidants, and more.

In a study, Richard Brewer counted the caterpillars brought by Carolina chickadees to their nests. On average, over the course of a day nesting period, 6, to 9, caterpillars were brought to one nest. Then, those parents will continue to feed the fledglings for up to 21 days after leaving the nest.

What to plant? When Tallamy talks about the keystone plants, the top three genera on the list are Quercus oak , Prunus cherry , and Salix willow. These are the plants that support and sustain multiple species of caterpillars.

Of course, many gardeners cannot or do not have the space to plant just tree and shrub species. Luckily, there are resources to find out if your plantings will support caterpillars. Of course, adding in a few small trees and shrubs will support and shelter your feathered friends. Enhanced biodiversity also contributes to ideal habitat for beneficial insects, including those that are predaceous and parasitoidal.

This is part of intentional biological control, which also includes reducing or eliminating pesticides. Beneficial insects prey upon many insect pests, including the soft-bodied caterpillars. However, these beneficial species also require other food sources, such as nectar and pollen, at other stages in their life cycles.

Thus, by providing pollinator plants for those butterflies and moths, one ensures a beneficial insect-friendly habitat as well. Again, native species are important to prioritize; but if you are only growing food for your family, as in vegetables and herbs, then you may still be able to support an ideal habitat for beneficial insects.

Herbs found in the mint family Lamiaceae and carrot family Apiaceae have proved to support parasitic wasps. Herbs to include in your garden are oregano, thyme, lemon balm, rosemary, dill, fennel, and cilantro.

They can severely damage and destroy vegetation, crops, and other agricultural produce. They can also be harmful to humans with their stings. Unlike many species that must search to find food, detect enemies, and reproduce, the only goal of caterpillars is to eat the plant life around them. Caterpillars have strong mandibles for cutting and chewing through plants and leaves.

They are relentless feeders and can cause an exceptional amount of harm to plants and other vegetation. Caterpillars hatch from eggs deposited by butterflies and moths on plants and trees. Caterpillars eat until they grow too big for their bodies, which causes them to molt and grow new and roomier skin. They continue to eat until they are ready for the pupae stage.

This larval stage is crucial since caterpillars must consume enough nourishment to sustain themselves through the pupal stage and into adulthood. Without this enormous amount of proper nutrition, they may not have enough energy reserves to complete their metamorphosis. Some malnourished caterpillars reach adulthood, but they are unable to produce eggs. The larval life cycle stage typically lasts several weeks, meaning caterpillars eat an astounding amount of vegetation.

Some consume up to 27, times their body weight during this phase. Therefore, caterpillars are extremely harmful to plant life. Gardeners, growers, and farmers alike consider them one of the most destructive agricultural pests. Caterpillars have particularly aggressive defense mechanisms for protection against predators such as birds, other insects, and even humans.

These creatures often have spiny bristles or hair-like stalks with detachable tips that can lodge in the skin or mucous membranes and cause irritation. Some caterpillar species have venom glands within their bristles, making them quite dangerous. Other caterpillars absorb toxins from host plants which make them unpalatable to some of their predators. Caterpillar hair can cause health problems in humans due to their venoms.

The most common affliction is skin rash; however, there have been some fatal cases of intracranial hemorrhage in areas where the most venomous species are present. Caterpillars can also cause forms of conjunctivitis, as the sharp barbs of their hairs can be lodged in soft tissue and mucous membranes—particularly in the eye.

These hairs are difficult to remove, which increases risk as they can migrate across membranes and spread infection. Surprisingly, caterpillar stings often take place indoors. Their bristles and hairs enter structures through ventilation systems and accumulate in indoor environments due to their small size and the difficulty in expelling them out. This accumulation increases the risk of human contact indoors, even more than outdoors. Caterpillar infestations can begin at different times of the year, but most are hatched in late spring.

Unlike many other pests, their reproductive growth is not exponential. However, they make up for this limited reproductive capacity with their ravenous feeding of trees, plants, fruits, and other vegetation.

Caterpillars are rapid feeders and merciless pests when it comes to crops and agriculture. They can cause damage severe enough to the point of total crop loss due to complete defoliation. Many trees are resilient in handling a couple of consecutive years of defoliation. However, most crops produced by farmers and growers are not resilient to caterpillar infestation. Caterpillars are not difficult to detect, but if not treated immediately they can cause irreversible damage within a short period.

Caterpillar infestation can be identified and controlled if multiple, aggressive steps are taken as soon as possible. Unfortunately, this often involves chemical pesticides which can create health and environmental hazards. The best way to control caterpillars as pests is to examine plants, crops, and other vegetation daily. Any signs of moth eggs or small green caterpillars should be removed and disposed of immediately.

Most caterpillars are easily seen, but plants also indicate their presence with ragged edges and holes in leaves. Enough caterpillar damage to a young plant can kill it. The best pest control method when it comes to caterpillars is the regular examination of vegetation and diligent removal of them, which can keep the population low. A few individual caterpillars are not considered harmful when it comes to gardens.

However, a garden infested with caterpillars is not good at all. The majority of plants need pollinators like bees and butterflies to reproduce. Australian admiral butterfly image courtesy of Julie Burgher in line with Creative Commons licensing.

A garden that attracts butterflies will also bring native bees and birds. They are all really good for the environment and play a role in increasing biodiversity — the variety of plants, animals and micro-organisms and their ecosystems.

Unfortunately for butterflies, they are also an important — though low-level — member of the food chain. Caterpillars are also eaten by bats, birds and other animals. If butterfly populations diminish or disappear altogether! Because butterflies are so sensitive to habitat and climate change, scientists are monitoring them as one way of observing the wider effects of habitat fragmentation and climate change. Naturalist and veteran broadcaster Sir David Attenborough says spending time in nature — even just watching butterflies in a home garden — is good for our mental health.