Munch munch munch… Someday I will be a beautiful butterfly! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Caterpillars spend their days busily feasting, turning carbon-rich leaves into nitrogen-rich poo. This means less falling leaves and more caterpillar poop washing into nearby lakes. This can change the
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Caterpillar Defense
Was the Very Hungry Caterpillar also very TOXIC? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Caterpillars may look cute — but some have prickly protection! Take the painted cup moth caterpillar. It’s scientific name, Doratifera vulnerans, means “bearer of painful gifts” — and for good reason!
Continue readingHangry Caterpillars
When does the very HUNGRY caterpillar become very HANGRY? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Eating is a serious – and DANGEROUS – business! I WILL “cut you” for that last piece of Valentine’s candy! Do our creepy-crawly friends feel the same? Enter Joseph Collie
Continue readingVery Hungry Caterpillars
Munch munch munch… Someday I will be a beautiful butterfly! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Caterpillars spend their days busily feasting, turning carbon-rich leaves into nitrogen-rich poo. This means less falling leaves and more caterpillar poop washing into nearby lakes. This can change the
Continue readingCaterpillar Defense
Was the Very Hungry Caterpillar also very TOXIC? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Caterpillars may look cute — but some have prickly protection! Take the painted cup moth caterpillar. It’s scientific name, Doratifera vulnerans, means “bearer of painful gifts” — and for good reason!
Continue readingHangry Caterpillars
When does the very HUNGRY caterpillar become very HANGRY? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Eating is a serious – and DANGEROUS – business! I WILL “cut you” for that last piece of Valentine’s candy! Do our creepy-crawly friends feel the same? Enter Joseph Collie
Continue readingCaterpillar’s Sixth Sense
Sixth sense: fact or fiction? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Peppered moth caterpillars are found all over the world. But you’ve probably never seen one. Why? Because they’re REALLY good at hiding by changing their color! Meet Amy Eacock
Continue readingGlobal Caterpillar Killers
Are pests destroying your garden? Maybe you should just. . . move! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Biologists know there are more species of everything near the lush equator. Which means lots of plants — and animals to eat them, like hungry caterpillars! So
Continue readingToxic Baby Food
Ughhh, what did I eat?. This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Caterpillars are cute, but not when they damage crops. Plants defend themselves by producing chemicals that attract wasps, a natural pest control. Wasps lay eggs in caterpillars, and hatchlings slowly eat the caterpillars from
Continue readingKiller Caterpillars
The Very Hungry Caterpillar…is STILL hungry! Watch out!! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Caterpillars love to snack on plants. Poor plants! Since they can’t move, they have few options for self-defense. But one clever plant might a few tricks up its sleeve! John Orrock
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