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Hey Mrs. Feynman! What is the most interesting caterpillar adaptation you have seen so far?

Julia Provost

Hi, Julia,

Thanks for asking! I think hesperiidae has a really interesting adaptation. One way wasps find the caterpillars is by smelling their frass (poop). The hesperiidae shoots its frass really far away so that the wasps can't find it! Isn't that great!!

Mrs. Feynman
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Ms.F What was the most popular type
of caterpiler you found?
-skylar

Hi, Skylar,

The caterpillar we have found the most of is called the tortricidae, but we have nicknamed them the "torture"-idae. They are dinky, and they wrap themselves up in leaves. During zoo you have to find every single one to see if it needs more food, if its pupaeted, or if it's dead or parasatized. It is torture to find them all in the folded leaf mess!!
UGH!! Thanks for asking because I didn't want to complain, but since you ask....

See you soon!

Mrs. Feynman




hi mrs.feynman i have a question what is the most interesting catiiller you have seen so far? you can just tell me the name and i will look it up it see what it looks like

-Victoria Kruy

Hi, Victoria,

I think I like the crowned slug - Isa textula
it is one of the ones that has a big sucker foot at the bottom, and it has also changed a LOT since we got it. It was kind of plain green when we got it, and now it has orangish/red racing stripes down its back!

I took a picture of it this AM - if it comes out I will try to post it.

Rock on!

Mrs. Feynman
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Remember when you said there were only a couple of oak and maple trees in the forest of Chinese Tallow? Couldn't their be caterpillars there?

How big is the Pearl River Wildlife Management Area?

Krystal

Hi, Krystal,

The Pearl River Wildlife Management Area is 34,918 square acres.

There could indeed be caterpillars on the oaks and maples. I think one of the problems might be that a butterfly would have to find that one oak or maple that's in the middle of the tallow. It is probably easier to find the right host tree when there are a clump of them together. Also, I'm not sure to what extend the butterflies find their trees by scent. It might be that it's hard to smell one oak or one maple in the midst of all that Tallow. Want to look that up for extra credit? I'd love to know!
Today while I was "zooing" (checking the caterpillars in their bags, dumping frass and adding leaves) I found a bag with Chinese Tallow that had a Fall Webworm eating it. So I guess someone is trying to figure out what to do with that new stuff!

Great Questions!!!

Mrs. Feynman

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Hi Mrs.Feynamn! Just checking in with you. How are you? I am good.

-Ali


Hi, Ali,

Thanks for checking in! I was really tired after staying out late on Halloween, but thanks to the time change I got a really good night's sleep and now I feel so much better!
Did you have a good Halloween? Did you trick or treat, or go to a party? Did you dress up? Im sad that I missed it with you guys, I really like Halloween!

Mrs. Feynman