Defintion of Caterpillar

[Valerie Passoa]

Greetings:

    I posted an off-list message to Chris Durden in response to this quote from one of his messages.  It said, "Sawflies definitely have caterpillars, as do caddis flies some scorpion flies and snake flies."  I remarked to Chris that the word "caterpillar" is specifically used to denote the immature forms of moths and butterflies.  Chris responded, and rightly so, asking for references.  I decided to post my response to the List as a whole, so here goes.

   

1.  Chris' statement above is based on Stehr's book, Immature Insects.  Stehr is using the term eruciform larvae (those larvae resembling a caterpillar) to include lepidopteran immatures as well as those from other orders.  So, if you wish to use this definition, then Chris' statement is correct. 

2.  In A Dictionary of Entomology by Leftwich, both the larvae of Lepidoptera and Hymenoptera -Symphyta (sawflies) are referred to as caterpillars, but goes on to say that the sawfly larvae are sometimes not regarded as true caterpillars because of morphological differences.

3.  The Torre-Bueno Glossary of Entomology defines 'caterpillar' as the eruciform larvae of butterflies and moths. 

   

    My point is that there are many body forms of insect larvae.  On of them is eruciform (a larva resembling a caterpillar).  Among the insect orders that have eruciform larvae, one of them is Lepidoptera.  So, if you wish to use eruciform larva and caterpillar synonymously, then so be it, but the use of the word 'caterpillar' exclusively as the term used for the larvae of moths and butterflies most certainly serves a purpose.  So in this regard, Torre-Bueno's definition is well-taken.

Valerie Passoa