The number of legs of butterfly and moth larvae

If you look closely at the larvae of butterflies and moths, the number of legs differs depending on the type. Typical moth and butterfly larvae have three pairs of legs at the front of their bodies, and these are their original legs and remain even when they become adults. And there are 5 pairs of organs called abdominal legs from the middle to the back of the body, giving a total of 8 pairs 16 legs. The photo shows a larva of a swallowtail butterfly, and it is very easy to see that it has a total of 8 pairs of legs.

On the other hand, the looper's three pairs of abdominal legs have degenerated and it only has two pairs of abdominal legs. By degenerating their abdominal legs, they are able to walk by bending their bodies, which has the advantage of being able to stretch out and move onto leaves and branches that are a little further away.