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 hereShare this:FacebookXWhatsAppPinterestRedditPrintLike this:Like Loading...Related Published by George@PW View all posts by George@PW