Caterpillars a Keystone Food Source We 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 here A related UDaily Powerhouse Plants article here Share this:FacebookXWhatsAppPinterestRedditPrintLike this:Like Loading... Related Published by George@PW View all posts by George@PW
