desert bugs - Top That! Publishing

Do butterflies, moths and caterpillars sting
Butterflies and moths don’t sting, but some caterpillars do. However, their sting is not the same as a bee’s or a
wasp’s. Some species have hollow hairs (like tiny quills) covering their bodies,
and each hair is connected to a sack full of poison. If the hairs are touched, they
release the poison, which can cause anything from an irritating itch to intense
pain. So, if you see a hairy caterpillar crawling on you, don’t brush it off with
your hands, but gently move it with a stick. Remember, though, caterpillars
don’t set out to attack other creatures – their stinging hairs are used for protection.
How do insects avoid being eaten by predators
Many insects face the problem of how to survive without being eaten. By pretending to be something else (another
insect, for example), they stand a better chance of survival. Copying others is known as mimicry.
The orange emesis butterfly has no natural defence system – it has no biting jaws or stinging tail and it’s not
poisonous – yet it has developed to look just like a poisonous butterfly. Predators, such as birds, know that one
bite of the poisonous butterfly will make them sick, so they avoid eating the orange emesis just in case.
There is a type of jumping spider that looks just like an ant!
Most birds avoid ants as prey, so the threat of the jumping
spider being eaten is greatly reduced through mimicry.
The orange emesis butterfly (far right) and the jumping
spider both use mimicry to avoid being eaten.
Why are the wings of butterflies and moths ‘dusty’
Some hairy caterpillars can
give a nasty sting.
If you’ve ever touched a butterfly or a moth, you’ve probably found your fingertips
covered in what looks like fine dust. This ‘dust’ covers the wings of these insects
and is really made up of minute scales. Some scientists think that the scales make
the wings slippery, protecting butterflies and moths from the grasp of predators
and enabling them to escape from spiders’ webs, but once the scales have been
damaged, they don’t grow back. So, if you ever have to pick up a butterfly or A moth’s wings are covered in
moth, remember to be very gentle.
minute scales that look like dust.
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