1. There are more than 20,000 species in the world. Biologists believe that they will discover many more of these animals, with many of them being discovered in remote areas.
2. Some of these insects that turn into moths can sting, but butterfly caterpillars cannot sting.
3. The vast majority of them eat plants, but a few will eat insects and other caterpillars.
4. They may spin a single pupa, or they may spin a cocoon around themselves before spinning an additional pupa around the cocoon.
5. The caterpillar stage can last from 1-to-11 months, depending on the species. The largest caterpillars in the world can reach up to 6 inches in length!