Science Diary: Caterpillars - Stingers: The Pulse of the Planet daily radio program offers free legal online mp3 downloads, exploring the world of sound in nature, culture and science, with audio adventures, world music, extraordinary sound portraits, science diaries, and nature ring-tones; an amazing sonic experience.



Airdate: Oct 21, 2008
Scientist: Grant Gentry

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 Insects ,Poisonous ,Predators ,caterpillars ,animals


Science Diary: Caterpillars - Stingers

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The sting of a caterpillar can keep predators, and human researchers, at bay.
Transcript:

music; ambience: morning rainforest, Tirimbina, Costa Rica, birds, insects

It was bright dayglow green. It had a big patch on its front that looked like a giant ants head. And Lees letting it crawl on him and kind of poking at it. And all of a sudden it sort of explodes in his hand. His hand was just coated with this stuff that started to burn. And he was like, okay, were putting Little Joey away. Lets get to the water.

Now who said studying caterpillars was for the faint of heart? Welcome to Pulse of the Planets Science Diaries, a glimpse of the world of science from the inside. Grant Gentry and Lee Dyer investigate the crucial role that caterpillars play in the rainforests of central America. Caterpillars eat more rainforest plants than any other insects. And lots of creatures eat caterpillars, or try to and thats where the stinging comes into the picture.

Its a good defense against various types of predators and maybe even parasites, especially birds. Birds arent the most important predators of caterpillars, but they have had a big impact on the evolution of caterpillars. And a lot of the colors and things like spines and hairs that you see in caterpillars, are likely an adaptation to prevent being eaten by birds. The caterpillars that tend to be stingers are the hairy or spiny caterpillars. Stinging doesnt refer to them actively putting a stinger into you, it just is the fact that you brushed against their hair or spine and got a barb in your skin or got some chemicals on your skin. And it can give you really good rashes. Some people have terrible allergic reactions. There is cases in South Africa where some people have such bad allergic reactions to the sting that it kills them.

There are no killer caterpillars in the US, but we recommend caution when handling them. Well hear more about the ecology of the rainforest in future programs.

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Science Diary: Caterpillars - Stingers