Caterpillar (Lepidoptera)

December 7, 2025

Sample information
Picture
Photos by: M. Ahmed
Location
Collection date 09/03/2025
Captive / Cultivated? Wild-caught
Group Benedictine University
Observations

Collected by Fall 2025 Students

Common name: Hairy caterpillar

Order: Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies)

Stage: Larval form – actively feeding and growing

Appearance: Segmented body covered with protective hairs

Behavior: Slow-moving, uses hairs to deter predators

Collection site: Found on vegetation near campus, likely feeding on leaves

Ecological role: Herbivore, plant consumer, and important food source for birds and small animals

  • Segmented, cylindrical body covered with hairs
  • Head: chewing mouthparts
  • Thorax: 3 pairs of true legs
  • Abdomen: multiple pairs of prolegs with hooks
  • Hairs (setae) used as a defense mechanism
  • These features confirm Order: Lepidoptera
Putative identification Arthropoda Insecta Lepidoptera

Methods
Extraction kit DNeasy (Qiagen) blood and tissue kit
DNA extraction location Larva
Single or Duplex PCR Single Reaction
Gel electrophoresis system Standard electrophoresis system
Buffer TAE
DNA stain SYBR Safe
Gel images
Protocol notes

Results
Wolbachia presence Unknown
Confidence level Low
Explanation of confidence level

Low confidence level because my sample showed no Wolbachia and I couldn’t retrieve the original sequence files to verify my results.
Wolbachia 16S sequence
Arthropod COI sequence Download FASTA    Download AB1
AAGCGTTGGTTAACCGGATCCCTCCTCCCGCAGGATCAAAAAAAGTAGTATTTAAATTACGATCAGTTAATAACATATGTAATAGCCCCCGCTAAGACAGGTAAGGATAATAATAATAAAACAGCAGTAATATTAACTGATCATCTAAATAAACATACTATTTCTTTTTTTACTCCTAATAAACAACAATTAATAATTGTTGAAATAAAATTTACAGCCCCCAAAATAGATGAAGCCCCCGCTAAATGTAAAGAAAAAATAGCCATATCAACTGAAATTCTCCTATGACCTAAAATTAAAGATAATGGAGGATAAACAGTCCACCCAGTACCAACCCCTCTTCCTAAAAACCCTCTCATTAACAATAAAAATACGGAAGGTACTAACAATCAAAATCTCATATTATTAAGACGAGGAAATGCTATATCAGCTGCCCCTAATATAAGAGGAACTAATCAATTACCAAATCCCCCAATTATAACAGGTATAACCATAAAAAAAATCATAACAAAAGCATGAGCCGTAACTAACCTATTATAAATTTGATCATTACCAATTACCACTCCAGGAGCCCCCAACTCCATACGAATTAATAATCTTATAGATAGCCCCAATATCCCAGCCCACAATCCAAACAAAAAATATAATATACCAATATCTTTATGATTTGTTGACCACA
BLAST at The Wolbachia Project   BLAST at NCBI
Summary
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