What are the caterpillars of large wax moths? How can the caterpillars of large wax moths can decompose plastic bags?

The caterpillar of a large wax moth can process polyethylene. Read more in the article.

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There are many different types of caterpillars in the world, each of which has its own habitat and its own food. Some feed on green leaves of different plants, others with wood, and others can even process that which is not related to the plant world. Read interesting information in this article.

What are the caterpillars of large wax moths?

Recently, scientists made a discovery: caterpillars of large wax moths are able to process plastic bags. For the first time, people learned about this discovery from the scientific British publication Current-Biology.

How can the caterpillars of large wax moths can decompose plastic bags?

The caterpillar of a large wax moth processes polyethylene

It is already known that the caterpillar not only eats polyethylene, but it performs the processing of this material to other substances. How she can do this is still unclear, but these substances are a biological mass and are excreted from the body of the caterpillar naturally.

Scientists do not hide the existence of other living organisms that are able to process packaging material, but they all do it too slowly. Whereas, for example, 100 caterpillars of large wax moth can cope with 95 milligrams of polyethylene in 12 hours.