What's Moving with Madi

December 19, 2022

Let's learn about inchworms!

While the Girl Scouts were setting up for their scavenger hunt at Brennan Woods last month, they found this inchworm and graciously took a picture. Thanks girls!

Inchworms belong to the Geometridae family. But unlike their name suggests they are not worms, in fact they are caterpillars! These caterpillars are the larval form of many different kinds of geometrid moths. Inchworms get there name by how they move. As shown in the picture, inchworms have three sets of legs just behind their head, then a legless middle portion. After the legless portion of the inchworm's body, they have two fleshy prolegs at their rear. Because of this legless middle part, inchworms move by walking their rear legs forward to meet the front part of their body, then moving their front legs. This action makes it look like inchworms are measuring something an inch at a time. Hence their name! While inchworms move they end up looking like a loop or a "U" shape.

Thanks for keeping your eye out for critters like this on the trails Girl Scouts, you rule! You never know what you'll find on CLTLC's preserves.