Diet of The Mopane Worm
Although the mopane worm feeds chiefly on the mopane tree, it is not limited to this diet, and can feed on many other trees indigenous to the same regions, including the leaves of the mango tree. This allows the mopane worm to be scattered over a fairly large area, as it is not restricted to areas with mopane trees. As the larval stage of the mopane worm is fairly short in contrast to other browsing caterpillars, the extensive damage to foliage is easily survived by the tree, in time to be replenished for the next generation of mopane worms. Like most caterpillars, the mopane worm is a voracious eater, and will continue to eat - almost non-stop - until it reaches the next stage of its life cycle, when it burrows underground to undergo metamorphosis.
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