It sounds like something out of a horror movie, but it happens more often than you might think in the insect world: viruses taking over their hosts and driving them towards death so that the virus might more easily spread to other victims.
From my understanding the virus hijacks their motor function making the insect unable to do respond to its environment or senses. It will still feel pain, hunger and fight or flight impuses yet is unable to respond. Truly pretty crazy stuff!
I’d assume exposure/dehydration. The virus controls all movement, so it makes the caterpillar walk up a plant and doesn’t have it move again. Efficient and likely a trafficed area by other caterpillars as well I’d bet.
From my understanding the virus hijacks their motor function making the insect unable to do respond to its environment or senses. It will still feel pain, hunger and fight or flight impuses yet is unable to respond. Truly pretty crazy stuff!
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I’d assume exposure/dehydration. The virus controls all movement, so it makes the caterpillar walk up a plant and doesn’t have it move again. Efficient and likely a trafficed area by other caterpillars as well I’d bet.