Caterpillars
Posted by Terry Peterson on February 3, 2008
Q: I found 3 catapillars on the sidewalk. They are about 1/2in long, hairy-spikey like, black with a light lime color running around the bottom part of its body. They are making silk (web) but ... What do I feed them and what type of habitat do I need to create so they will turn into butterflies?
State: Texas
A: Gosh Terry, I really need to see these caterpillars (a photo would be great) to be able to make an identification for you. But...if they're making some kind of "silk web" it sounds to me that they're getting ready to make their cocoons and won't need to eat anything. Once in the cocoon, they simply live on stored body fat until they transform into adults. It also sounds to me that your animals are probably moths, not butterflies.
My best advice would be to look up Texas caterpillars online and see if you can find a picture of those you have. Then, at least you'll know what kind you're working with and can learn something about their life history. Here's one site but there are others too. www.whatsthatbug.com
Good luck.
John Wiessinger ( February 3, 2008)