The jaws of this caterpillar can slice leaves into bite-size bits.


Poison Power Some caterpillars don’t need disguises. T ey sting. I know this firsthand. One day, I found one covered in spines. “Pretty cool,” I thought. As I took a closer look, my hand accidentally brushed its stinging spikes. Ow! It hurt for 20 minutes. T at caterpillar was pretty cool and pretty painful. No predator wants a mouthful of that. T e fiercest caterpillar of all, though,


may be the puss moth. Spots on its front end look like big black eyes. A little pink curve looks like a smile. Beware. It shoots acid through that “smile.” Plus, two pink tentacles wave over its back end. T ey smell bad. Predators can’t get away fast enough.


Munch a Bunch Defense isn’t the only thing caterpillars are good at. T ey are also champion eaters. T eir jaws work like scissors. Snip, snip, snip. T ey slice leaves into tiny pieces. While most caterpillars eat plants, at least


one kind eats meat. It sits still for hours. Finally, an insect lands on its back. T e caterpillar twists and stabs the bug with its front feet. T en it gobbles up the bug. As they eat, caterpillars grow and grow


and grow. When their skin gets too tight, it peels right off . A new layer of skin covers them. Caterpillars lose their skin, or molt, four or five times. T en it’s time for one of the coolest transformations on Earth.


MAY 2011 7


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24