Teeny Tiny Caterpillars

**Posted by Darja on behalf of Charlotte as internet is proving tricky in Burkina Faso**

The eggs have started to hatch into tiny larvae, which is exciting. Here, the caterpillars are known as ‘chitoumout’. So, tiny caterpillars are ‘chitoumou den’ - caterpillar babies. Out in the fields and the forest, caterpillar eggs can be found on branches like this one.

 

This means they can quickly find their chosen food source - shea leaves - and start eating. In the lab, we’re making sure that the first food source the tiny caterpillars come into contact with is one of our artificial feeds. We’re trialling 6 feeds, all of which have been successfully used to rear closely related species. The larvae are so tiny that we use a soft paintbrush to transfer them from their eggs to the feed.

 

Figure caption

So far, we’ve had mixed results. The larvae didn’t seem to like the first feed recipe, but the second one is looking more positive. Poda, our field lab technician, is working each morning and evening to check on the larvae and record the results. Here he is at work.

 

Meanwhile, in the village, everyone’s excited about the prospects of caterpillar season. There are a LOT of caterpillar eggs on the trees this year. In one conversation I had yesterday evening, I realised something: I tend to assume it’s the promise of prosperity that inspires this eager anticipation. After all, a few hours collecting caterpillars can earn far, far more than a few hours collecting most other forest products. But when my friend exclaimed ‘We can eat fresh meat every day, for free! Meat from nature! The best type!’ I remembered - the caterpillars aren’t only lucrative, they’re tasty too. Perhaps that explains the smiles that light up peoples’ faces at the mention of ‘chitoumou’.