WATCH: Our local caterpillar expert shares some insight

ACCORDING to Suncana Bradley, caterpillars, like other insects, have three body parts: head, thorax, and abdomen. Caterpillars have an exoskeleton that protects them from their surroundings.

A caterpillar possesses six pairs of microscopic eyes organized in a semicircle, known as stemmata. Their eyes can distinguish between light and dark, but not images.

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“There is currently an influx of caterpillars due to the heavy rains experienced by KwaZulu-Natal. The caterpillars eat weeds and are plentiful this year due to increased rainfall. This results in lush growth for the caterpillar. When they reach adulthood, they seek for safe spots to rest, pupate, and emerge into adult moths,” the expert added.

Watch the video below to learn more about the Lymantriinae caterpillar which is also known as the Tussock moth caterpillar.

Read the full article in the next Highway Mail.

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