![]() ![]() Early in larval development, instars one through three, larvae feed during the day. ![]() The molts separate the larval period into five or six stages, called instars. The leftover exoskeletons can aggravate allergies in some people. About once a week the larva will grow too large for its exoskeleton and it will molt. Females feed for an extra week to put on the fat necessary to produce eggs. It will eat for five to six weeks depending on its sex. Once the larva has finished ballooning, it begins to feed. ![]() When a breeze catches the larva, the thread breaks and it is carried on the wind for up to 150 yards. The larva climbs to the top of the tree on which it hatched, and dangles in the air on a silk thread. The larva (caterpillar): A feeding machineīefore starting to feed, larvae, or caterpillars as they are commonly known, disperse throughout the forest in a behavior called ballooning. ![]()
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