Caterpillar catcher
(gcide) | Caterpillar \Cat"er*pil`lar\, n. [OE. catyrpel, corrupted fr.
OF. chatepelouse, or cate pelue, fr. chate, F. chatte,
she-cat, fem. of chat, L. catus + L. pilosus hairy, or F.
pelu hairy, fr. L. pilus hair. See Cat, and Pile hair.]
1. (Zool.) The larval state of a butterfly or any
lepidopterous insect; sometimes, but less commonly, the
larval state of other insects, as the sawflies, which are
also called false caterpillars. The true caterpillars have
three pairs of true legs, and several pairs of abdominal
fleshy legs (prolegs) armed with hooks. Some are hairy,
others naked. They usually feed on leaves, fruit, and
succulent vegetables, being often very destructive, Many
of them are popularly called worms, as the cutworm,
cankerworm, army worm, cotton worm, silkworm.
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2. (Bot.) A plant of the genus Scorpiurus, with pods
resembling caterpillars.
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Caterpillar catcher, or Caterpillar eater (Zool.), a bird
belonging to the family of Shrikes, which feeds on
caterpillars. The name is also given to several other
birds.
Caterpillar hunter (Zool.), any species of beetles of the
genus Callosoma and other allied genera of the family
Carabid[ae] which feed habitually upon caterpillars.
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