Eating Machine

© Jim Gilbert 2006 all rights reserved.

The mid-sized monarch caterpillars had no problem chewing the entire thickness of the leaf. I don't know if this one chewed through the stem or is just working on an end left by something else. They tended to be thorough eaters rather than moving around alot like the small ones.

Leonard J. Buck Garden, Far Hills, NJ

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Comments

myrmician says:

i guess it doesnt pay to move from plant to plant enough when you are so large and fat!? they really are beautiful though....
Posted 41 months ago. ( permalink )

J Gilbert says:

The first instar cats don't have the mouthparts to munch through whole leaves I think, so they have to graze around for what they can chew. Either that or they're young and foolish.
Posted 41 months ago. ( permalink )

Tobyotter says:

Beautiful shot .
Posted 41 months ago. ( permalink )

Jess*Lo says:

We had a big one in our little mint plant. That green-glutton-machine ate lots and lots of our poor greenie.

We are still wondering how could it smell so bad if the only thing it ate was this breath freshener plant.

Hope I wrote it well in english :)
Posted 41 months ago. ( permalink )

AlexYoung says:

Wow.
Great shot.
Cool creature.
Posted 41 months ago. ( permalink )

J Gilbert says:

Thanks all. Jesslo, the English is fine. I checked on these again today. The biggest caterpillars that weren't so active yesterday have left the plants. My guess is that they've going off to pupate. The medium sized caterpillars are still eating and have pretty much stripped their plants. The smallest caterpillars are noticeably much bigger than they were yesterday. Fortunately the horticulturalists at the garden are happy to have the caterpillars there.
Posted 41 months ago. ( permalink )

Crfullmoon says:

They really are amazing eating machines.
Posted 41 months ago. ( permalink )

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Taken on July 25, 2006
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Eating Machine

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myrmician says:

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