Life in the Food Web
By Owen Kinney - Faculty
As you walk through campus this week, you might see unusually large numbers of caterpillars crossing sidewalks and scaling walls. Autumn marks the end of a generation for many moths and butterflies in Georgia.
The Orange-striped Oakworm Moth, Anisota senatoria, is a particularly abundant species at Darlington. Caterpillars (or larvae) of this harmless moth are shiny black with thin orange stripes and rubbery spines (see photo at right). Like many moth species, the flying adults emerge from the soil in late spring, seeking trees on which to lay their eggs. Oakworm eggs hatch into tiny greenish caterpillars that feed on oak leaves throughout the summer.
After weeks of continuous eating, the caterpillars grow tremendously and darken in color. With a big appetite and lots of siblings, they can defoliate even large oak trees. Each fully-grown larvae descends to the ground in late summer, walking for hours in search of a patch of soft soil where it can bury itself, change into a leathery pupa, and wait for metamorphosis in the spring.
Caterpillars tend to feed on late season leaves and have a minimal impact on the survival of plants. Moreover, most caterpillar species are quite uncommon and are very rarely seen. Healthy bird and predatory insect populations keep caterpillar numbers in check. If you want to naturally control caterpillars in your own yard, leave nearby wasp nests alone. Wasps love to eat caterpillars, and plants under attack often send out chemical distress calls that alert wasps to the buffet.
Please enjoy images of caterpillar species discovered by Zoology students on our campus over the past few years. Starting with top left, scroll through using the right arrow key: Fawn Sphinx, Gulf Fritillary, Hickory Horned Devil, Orange-striped Oakworm, Saddleback Moth (venomous), Snowberry Clearwing.
My Zoology students and I want to know the exciting things that you are finding when you venture outside. Please comment below to share your sightings and your questions with us. Have a great weekend!
