Caterpillar - Definition - Law Dictionary Home Dictionary Definition caterpillar

Definition :

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