Subject: Re: caterpillars-moths vs. butterflies

From: "A.P.K.Torry" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 10 May 1996 18:54:15 +0000

I don't think it is possible to distinguish between moth and butterfly
larvae from mere observation, for example:-

The Black-Veined White Butterfly (Aporia Crateagi) caterpillar is hairy and
gregarius, very like a caterpillar of one of the family of Eggar Moths
(Lasiocampidae), in particular the Lackey Moth (Malacosoma neustria).

The Mullein Moth (Cucullia verbasci) has a very colourful caterpillar which
resembles some members of the White butterfly family PIERIDAE.

I don't think there are any 'looper' butterfly caterpillars out there but I
may be wrong, and I don't think there are many moth larvae which resemble
the LYCAENIDAE (Blues, Coppers and Hairstreaks).

Sorry to be of no real technical help but I think the differences may lie
beyond the reach of your average 9 year old budding scientist, under the
lense of a powerful microscope possibly.

Andrew

PS. Here is an interesting though:-

         If primates had a larval stage how different would a chimpanzee
larva and a          human larva be?

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From: Cheri Tenaglia <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 16 May 1996 00:59:31 -0400

For anybody just discovering the fun of caring for caterpillars, there are
two books that provide simple yet very helpful tools to identify your creepy
crawers.  The Peterson First Guides - Caterpillars by Amy Bartlett Wright is
devoted to the identification of common butterflies and moths as larvae.  The
fun thing about this book is that it is a key to these critters based on them
being smooth, bumpy, hairy, or sluglike.  The drawings are nicely detailed.
  One problem is that only last instars are pictured. The Butterfly Book by
The Stokes & Ernest Williams has two pages of caterpillar photographs
comparing families of butterflies.  Check out both of these books!   Gotta
go.... Cheri Tenaglia

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From: "Heath, Fred" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 17 May 1996 10:53:00 -0800

---------------------------- Forwarded with Changes
---------------------------
From: Lepidoptera List (LEPS-L)::(LISTL) at ~FABRIK
Date: 5/15/96 8:59PM
To: Fred Heath at PowerPost
*To: LISTL at ~FABRIK
Subject: Re: caterpillars-moths vs. butterflies
----------------------------------------------------------------------
---------
>comparing families of butterflies.  Check out both of these books!
Gotta

    I totally agree that the Peterson First Guide is easy to use
because it
requires no pre-knowledge of whether it might be a moth or butterfly
or what
family it might be in. Another guide I've found has lots of color
pictures of
caterpillars is the little Golden Guide to Butterflies and Moths.
This book has

many of the more common North American butterflies and moths with
their
caterpillars. The two problems with this book are 1) only one instar
(again
usually the last) is shown and 2) unless you have some pre-knowledge
you might
have to thumb through most of the book to find a particular creature.
                                    ----Fred Heath

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From: "Michael P. Hoff" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 20 May 1996 13:54:40 -0600

My daughter asks me to thank all who responded to her question about the
difference between moth and butterfly caterpillars.  She actually squealed
with delight one afternoon when she saw 7 printouts of e-mail messages!
You have gotten her on the road to answering her question; we have picked
up a couple of the suggested books and she has talked personally to a local
expert. Now she has to write her paper...

Thanks again.

Michael Hoff

Michael P. Hoff, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology
Dalton College
213 N. College Dr.
Dalton, GA  30720

[email-masked]