Page 10 - The Book of Caterpillars: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World

INTRODUCTION

with minute caterpillars that have been rarely, if ever, studied or

photographed. This book, therefore, focuses on the caterpillars of larger
moths and butterflies, which have received most attention from scientists
and photographers. The 600 species that are described here reveal the
enormous diversity of form, coloration, and adaptation that exists among

these creatures. They range in size from large (6 in/150 mm) hawkmoths
and Saturniidae larvae, such as the Hickory Horned Devil (Citheronia
regalis), to tiny (⅜ in/10 mm) moth caterpillars like the Case-bearing
Clothes Moth (Tinea pellionella), with a full panoply of spiny, hairy, striped,
and variously patterned and ornamented larvae in between, from every

continent where Lepidoptera live. Some of the caterpillars feature unusual
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adaptations or live in extreme habitats; others are the subject of scientific
research, or are culturally significant, or economically important.

HOW THE BOOK WORKS
The larval life and ecology of 600 species are described in text and images
in two sections—Butterfly Caterpillars and Moth Caterpillars. While not
strictly a taxonomic division, this reflects common practice, as all butterfly
species are generally considered members of the superfamily Papilionoidea,
while the more numerous moth species account for all other Lepidoptera.

Each caterpillar is shown life size at maturity, together with a line
drawing of the adult butterfly or moth. Some have also been magnified to
highlight their detail. All images are of live caterpillars, as, unlike adult
butterflies and moths, caterpillars cannot be pinned and photographed

because they rapidly lose their coloration after death. A distribution map
indicates each species’ range. The entry heading may be the species’
common name, accompanied by its Latin name (the genus + species
name), or, where there is no accepted common name, only the Latin name.
Below the heading, the “authority” is given, that is, who first described the

species and the date when it was described. Parentheses are used to show
that a genus name has changed since it was first described, while square
brackets indicate discrepancies and uncertainties about the author or date.
An information box above each entry briefly summarizes key details

about the species—its family, range, habitat, host plants or material,
a notable fact, and its conservation status. Each species has been checked
against the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature)
Red List of Threatened Species, but as relatively few Lepidoptera have
been assessed, many species are listed as “Not evaluated,” although this