(n.) The larval state of a butterfly or any lepidopterous insect; sometimes, but less commonly, the larval state of other insects, as the sawflies, which are also called false caterpillars. The true caterpillars have three pairs of true legs, and several pairs of abdominal fleshy legs (prolegs) armed with hooks. Some are hairy, others naked. They usually feed on leaves, fruit, and succulent vegetables, being often very destructive, Many of them are popularly called worms, as the cutworm, cankerworm, army worm, cotton worm, silkworm.
(n.) A plant of the genus Scorpiurus, with pods resembling caterpillars.
Example Sentences:
(1) "I am aware of the toxic nature of the caterpillars, but also aware that previous control methods have reduced the number of caterpillar nests from several dozen in 2011 to only three last year.
(2) Muscle fibers from fourth and fifth instar caterpillars were examined with scanning and thin section electron microscopy.
(3) The Very Hungry Caterpillar & Friends (£2.99) The Very Hungry Caterpillar & Friends is a reworking of Eric Carle’s classic book and illustrations, in the form of a digital “pop-up app” modelled after printed pop-up books.
(4) "It may be that thistle-cutting or spraying is unnecessary this summer because the caterpillars will defoliate them for you."
(5) An apparent circadian feeding pattern appeared on day 2 in the sham-operated caterpillars.
(6) Insect venom is likely injected into the skin through specialized caterpillar hairs when contact occurs with the insect (or vegetation laden with insect debris).
(7) Pine processionary moth (Thaumetopoea pityocampa) Processional pine caterpillar tent, near Benimaurell, Alicante Province, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain.
(8) The CAT system assures access for Caterpillar employees and their families to a selection of qualified surgeons, while achieving cost savings through improvements in processing of surgical claims and negotiation of selected fees.
(9) Bacterial luciferase, derived from a fusion of the luxA and luxB genes of Vibrio harveyi, has been expressed at very high levels in caterpillars and insect cells.
(10) The main components of the diets were fish, lactose free milk, caseinate, partial hydrolasate of albumin, fermented corn and soya (Soy-Ogi), medium-chain triglycerides, rice and the local foods manioc, peanuts and caterpillars.
(11) When else am I going to try fried caterpillar?” she wondered.
(12) The junctional structures present between the midgut cells of 3 lepidopteran caterpillars have been examined using freeze-etching, conventional staining and lanthanum tracer techniques.
(13) Insect juvenile hormones are metabolized in numerous species of caterpillars by low abundance, highly specific esterases.
(14) But Oates thinks the common blue should be doing better; its food plant, bird’s-foot-trefoil , will grow in gently cut garden lawns, its caterpillars can also feed on agricultural clovers in “improved” grassland.
(15) You can throw tarts at the Queen of Hearts, help the Caterpillar smoke his hookah pipe, make Alice grow as big as a house and then shrink again.
(16) The cell extracts from both clones were toxic to caterpillars.
(17) The changes in numbers of giant forms in the development course of populations in the caterpillars, pupae and imagos body of both species were studied.
(18) The principal locomotory appendages of the Manduca sexta caterpillar, the prolegs, are present on the third through sixth abdominal segments (anal prolegs located on the terminal segment were not included in this study).
(19) Oak processionary moth caterpillars cover a tree trunk.
(20) Two of the farms had army caterpillar (Mythimna convecta) infestations.