caterpillar infestation

ALERT!!!!!!ALERT!!!!!! Recent news has shown that there is a caterpillar infestation and its spreading throughout the globe.....

the picture on your left >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
shows a caterpillar. the red blob you see there is it's head and it has a furry body.

Here's a little information on caterpillars.

Caterpillars are mostly herbivores while some are insectivorous (seems quite self explanatory). Most caterpillars have tubular and segmented bodies. Caterpillars grow through a series of moults; each intermediate stage is called an instar. The last moult takes them into the inactive pupal or chrysalis stage ( this whole sentence was taken from wikipedia). Caterpillars breathe through openings on their bodies called spiracles (all form 4 and 5 science students shud know this).

A caterpillar will undergo a process what we call metamorphosis. In this case i do not know if this species will turn into a butterfly or a moth. This diagram shud summarize this.

egg>>>>>>>caterpillar>>>>>>>pupa>>>>>>>>>moth/butterfly

A caterpillar will turn into a pupa before becoming a butterfly or a moth. It stays as a pupa for around 2 weeks (i think). Then it will spread its wings and fly.......unless we kill it.

The lifespan of a butterfly/moth varies among species. But most would live only a week or two. This shows us that beauty on the outside only lasts for so long. so we shud appreciate beauty from the inside more.

Now, you would think that a caterpillar is such a slow-moving-harmless creature. But believe me when i tell you....they are fast.




Now back to this dangerous and unstoppable epidemic.


If you look closely....this is a picture of caterpillar carcasses in a small part in a drain. (this is like the quadrat sampling technique in biology). Just imagine this picture and multiply it ten times more in long continuous succession.


(Picture on the right) This is a picture of a leaf. Its not just a leaf though. it's more than a leaf. Its a caterpillar-filled leaf. A few trees have already been "harvested" by these caterpillars.

(Picture below) This is a caterpillar on the fence.


















There are sources that say that butterflies.......ATTACK HUMANS!!!!! The world is in danger. We are all in danger. I would advice all lifeforms to spend their time with their loved ones. Shall we all observe a moment of silence one last time for our earth.

Reporting to you first-hand by kitkit. Until next time.....if there's still one.







okay.....i exaggerated.....there IS a caterpillar infestation but its just in my grandmother's home. And i'm positively sure butterflies don't attack humans.

For more information........check out these websites.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caterpillar
http://www.butterfly-guide.co.uk/life/pupa.htm
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/faq/lifespan