Caterpillar

Caterpillars are feeding and growing stages in the lives of butterflies and moths. True legs near the front and fleshy prolegs farther back help them grip plants and move. Their colors, hairs and shapes can conceal them or signal defenses. Many depend on particular host plants, while some have unusual animal-based diets. After a series of molts, a mature caterpillar becomes a pupa before the adult butterfly or moth emerges.