Overview of Caterpillar Sociality
What
is a Social Caterpillar?
Moths
and butterflies may lay several hundred eggs in a single batch .
The larvae that eclose from these eggs may disperse shortly after hatching
or they may rema
in to
gether
for part or all of their larval life. Those that remain together
constitute caterpillar societies. Studies have shown that such sibling
aggregates exhibit collective behaviors that vary from simple interactions
to complex forms of cooperative behavior involving reciprocal communication.
How
Common is Sociality in the Lepidoptera?
A
review of the literature indicates that some 300 species of caterpillars
occurring in 27 families of the Lepidoptera form sibling aggregations.
To date, the social behavior of only a dozen or so of these species has
been investigated in any detail.
What
Types of Collective Behaviors do Social Caterpillars Exhibit?
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