Caterpillars a Keystone Food SourceWe all love our butterflies because of their beauty and the services they perform as pollinators. Even though a given butterfly is unlikely to be an efficient pollinator, the sheer number of butterflies and moths result in a significant pollinator contribution.So it may be surprising to learn that caterpillars are a star for a very different reason: “caterpillars transfer more energy from plants to other animals than all other herbivores combined“Chewing insects, such as caterpillars, are at a higher risk of exposure to toxic chemicals because of their feeding method.Caterpillars are also prone to specialize to a single host plant, so preserving these plants is critical to their survival.“… a small percentage of the plant lineages within a region support larval development in the vast majority of resident Lepidoptera. We call such hyper-productive plants “keystone genera””The top 5 genera identified by Douglas W. Tallamy et al are:Quercus (Oaks)Salix (Willows)Prunus (Cherries, Plums, Peaches)PinesPopulus (Poplars, Aspens, Cottonwoods)Read the full Nature article hereA related UDaily Powerhouse Plants article here Please leave this field emptyOh, hi there! 👋It’s nice to meet you.Sign up to receive notifications of new content and sales. This field is required.We don’t spam or sell your info!Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.Share this:FacebookXWhatsAppPinterestRedditPrintLike this:Like Loading...Related Published by George@PW View all posts by George@PW
