News Animals

Smoker’s breath saves caterpillars’ lives

Tobacco-nibbling larvae exhale nicotine in face of predatory spiders

NICOTINE DEFENSE  Tobacco hornworm caterpillars use some of the nicotine in their food to produce a smoker’s breath strong enough to drive away predatory wolf spiders. 

Courtesy of Pavan Kumar

By Susan Milius

- More than 2 years ago

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Eating wild tobacco plants produces such noxious breath in hornworm caterpillars that predators reel backward and flee upon encountering it.