Crazy Caterpillars!
Interesting movement: Geometrids- are a particularly interesting caterpillar because they only have 4 prolegs and therefore loop when they move.
Personal defenses: A "slug caterpillar" not only look tough but they also sting. The "Fall Webworm" have warning coloration and are covered with setae (bristles) that cause irritation to our skin.
All of these special characteristics are important for us to observe when we are entering each individual caterpillar into our database. We need to look at the unique features I have listed above along with many, many other characteristics in order to correctly identify which particular caterpillar species we have actually collected. This is VERY difficult work!!!
Challenge: 1. Take a look at the pictures of the caterpillars we have found so far and see if you can identify what their special characteristic(s) are that helped us to identify their particular species.
2. Besides identifying caterpillars we have to figure out the type of plant they enjoy devouring too. What do you think we do in order to determine the special plant they are eating?
posted by Miss Turner @ 10:07 PM
9 Comments:
We think that the bristles, the colors, the way they move, the prolegs, true legs, what they eat and their antennaes help you to identify what type of caterpillar they are. Do you find out if the plant is poisonous before you touch it? It must be very difficult to figure out what kind of caterpillar it is when there are 300,000 to choose from!!
You are an excellent scientist. We love seeing all of the caterpillars. Will you please post the picture of the BIG grasshopper you told us about? We miss you.
We wish we could see you again on the polycom!!
Love, your class
We think that you can identify caterpillars by their color, like the purple-crested slug. Some had a certain number of prolegs.Some had a lot of bristles. Others had a lot of spiracles, or breathing holes, on their bodies.
I am going to take a guess on the type of the caterpillar in picture number one.I think it is a fall web worm.I think the second one might become a monach butterfly because of the black an yellow strips on his back.I am going to discribe one and you have to guess witch of them it is.It is small and looks like it has dimonds on its back.The one above caterpillars are fantastic looks like it is glowing.Can you please post the picture of the giant grasshopper you were talking about?We all miss you a lot.
Mrs.Turner is doing an exalant job of filling in for you.We all still miss you.
from Sahil
First, you might find out what the caterpiller is by searching what it is on the internet by putting in the picture. Then, you can search what the caterpiller eats. I wonder what kind of caterpillers you have found.
You might put the catippilar in a cage type of thing then, it will scan it on to a computer and last, It will tell you and then show you a picture and I have one queistion do you let the caterpillars go?
Once you find the plant the caterpillar was eating search on the computer and see what kind of plant it is. Then search to find the plants name and a picture so you know what the plant looks like. Then collect the plant and give it to the caterpillar.
I think that you could identify cattipillars by looking at them very closely.You can see there design and go online or look in a book you can see what it does when it moves or eats you can use information from online,a book,or what you see.
I think you can tell if they are poisinos by there color like the mornarch.
it kind of looks like its makeing a cacon.
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