Caterpillar

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/caterpillar

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Larval stage of insects in the order Lepidoptera
2. What do caterpillars look like and how do they move?Caterpillars have long, segmented bodies with a head that has chewing mouthparts. They walk using three pairs of true legs and extra small legs called prolegs that have tiny hooks to grip surfaces.
3. Why do some caterpillars spin silk?Some caterpillars use silk to make protective shelters or to create the cocoon where they turn into butterflies or moths.

Eruciform: Describes the elongated, worm-like body shape characteristic of caterpillar larvae.
Prolegs: Fleshy, unjointed appendages on the abdomen of caterpillars that aid in locomotion and gripping.
Chrysalis: The hardened, protective casing formed by butterfly larvae during the pupal stage.
Cocoon: A silken casing spun by moth larvae to protect their pupa during metamorphosis.