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The United States of America covers a very large land area, and covers
a wide variety of ecosystems, from Arctic in Alaska to near-tropical in
the Southern States and tropical in Hawaii. Because there are
so many different environments, it's no surprise that there is an equally
large variety of insects and spiders. Some of them, like the
black widow spider, are famous around the world, but the great majority
are unfamiliar even to local residents.
Everyone knows that butterflies
and some moths are attractive, but most people don't give much thought
to the caterpillars which preceded them. In fact, many caterpillars
are far more brightly colored and beautifully patterned than their equivalent
adult stage. This is illustrated by the three
caterpillars I saw in Illinois' "Chain O' Lakes" park. |
