Caterpillars eating their skins...
Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2008 6:21 pm
Looking through some old notes today I recalled when rearing some brown hairstreak larvea that larvae ate their old skins after shedding them.
I can also recall seeing this behaviour in holly blue larvae.
Holly blue larvae are notoriously cannibalistic, however brown hairstreaks are not. Eating the exuviae would assimilate valuable nutrients but does it serve any other purpose?
Has anyone else noticed this behaviour and could any one perhaps shed more light on it - is it restricted to just the lycaenids (I have never witnessed it in any other UK species other than the two examples above)?
Many thanks,
Felix.
I can also recall seeing this behaviour in holly blue larvae.
Holly blue larvae are notoriously cannibalistic, however brown hairstreaks are not. Eating the exuviae would assimilate valuable nutrients but does it serve any other purpose?
Has anyone else noticed this behaviour and could any one perhaps shed more light on it - is it restricted to just the lycaenids (I have never witnessed it in any other UK species other than the two examples above)?
Many thanks,
Felix.