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