Caterpillars Click on Thumbnail for larger Picture Caterpillars are the larvae of butterflies and moths. Many are major pests but several merely make us curious as to what they are doing. There are many types of caterpillars and they feed in or on a broad array of trees and shrubs. Most feeding by caterpillars takes place in the later instars as they approach maturity.
Small caterpillars are easier to control.
Geometrid larva Measuring worms or canker worms, geometrids, feed on a wide array of plants. They are like loopers but only have one pair of prolegs on the abdomen. Many are colored like their background and are difficult to see. These are one of the first butterflies out in spring. Their black wings with the yellow stripe make them quite distinctive.