In polymer chemistry, polymerization is a process of reacting monomer molecules together in a chemical reaction to form polymer chains or three-dimensional networks. There are many forms of polymerization and different systems exist to categorize them.
The thistle caterpillar is the larval stage of the painted lady butterfly. The adult insect migrates into Iowa each year from Texas and Mexico. Eggs are laid on both thistle and soybeans. The caterpillar is easily identified by the spines that resemble Christmas trees that have lost all their needles.
Moth Caterpillars. by Jeffrey S. Pippen | Back to Jeff's Butterfly Page | Back to Jeff's Misc. Thanks to many folks who have helped me ID some of the creatures on this page, including Anurag Agrawal, John & Jane Balaban, Cheri Cameron, Pat Coin, Steve Hall, Sean Hitch, Josh Rose, and Steve & Dean. Saddleback Caterpillar (Acharia stimulea, Sibine stimulea)