Finding a Caterpillar
Find out which caterpillars are native to your region. There are 20,000 species of butterflies on the planet, with over 725 different species in North America alone. Before going out to look for caterpillars, you may want to do some research about which caterpillars are native to the area that you live. You can often find a list of native caterpillar or butterfly species on your state’s official website. Try asking the librarian at your local library to help you locate books and periodicals that can help you identify native caterpillars in your area. You can find a list of state wildlife websites to help you find caterpillars here: https://www.fws.gov/offices/statelinks.html
Determine which kind of caterpillar you’re looking for. Once you have identified the types of caterpillars in your region, you can narrow down your search by what kind of caterpillar you’d like to have for a pet. Different kinds of caterpillars develop into different kinds of moths and butterflies, so you may choose one based on its caterpillar state, or on what type of butterfly you’d like to see emerge from the cocoon. Some caterpillars can be dangerous to touch. You may want to take that into account when choosing a type of caterpillar to start looking for. You may want to choose a species of caterpillar that you have ready access to a food source for. Caterpillars prefer leaves from their “host plant” to eat.
Research the plants in your yard or area. Different kinds of caterpillars (and therefore butterflies) prefer to reside in different kinds of plants, so It’s important that you choose what kind of caterpillar you’re looking for in order to know where to look. The plant a breed of butterfly prefers is called a “host plant.” Some examples of host plants for certain species of caterpillar are: Monarch butterfly caterpillars prefer milkweed plants. Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillars tend to reside in spicebush. Your best bet to find a Zebra Swallowtail caterpillar is in a Paw-Paw plant. Black Swallowtail caterpillars are commonly found in parsley, dill, or fennel plants. Luna moth caterpillars can be found in both walnut and sweet gum plants. Cecropia Moth, Viceroy or Red-Spotted Purple moth caterpillars can be found in cherry trees.
Start your search in the spring. Different caterpillars are more active at different points of the year, but nearly all caterpillars can be found in the Spring and Summer months. You will likely not be able to find caterpillars beyond the early stages of fall. Some caterpillars enter a state similar to hibernation throughout the colder months. Other caterpillars lay eggs that stay dormant until spring.
Look for caterpillar eating damage. It may not be easy to spot a caterpillar right away. Caterpillars often blend in with their environment as a defense mechanism against predators. One way to spot a plant that likely has caterpillars in it is to look for signs that a caterpillar has been feeding on a plant recently. Different kinds of caterpillars will leave different eating damage, so it’s important to look for the type of damage caused by the caterpillar you’re looking for. You can find photographic examples of different caterpillar eating damage here: https://www.istockphoto.com/photos/leaf-caterpillar-biting-eating
Catch a caterpillar by letting it come to you. Caterpillars cling tightly to the leaves and branches they are on, so pulling on it could injure the caterpillar or even pull off its legs. Instead, place your hand, a leaf or twig in the path of the caterpillar and allow it to crawl onto it to transport them. Be careful not to touch fuzzy or spiny looking caterpillars, as the bristles you see may be a defense mechanism that can cause skin irritation. Always wash your hands after handling caterpillars. Use a field guide or a reverse image search on Google to determine which species you found.
Preparing a Caterpillar Habitat
Choose a container for your caterpillar. Caterpillars do not require an elaborate enclosure to keep them safe and healthy. A one-gallon jar, fish tank or reptile enclosure will all work fine. Make sure the container has a cover and allows air to flow in and out. Line the bottom of the container with paper towels to make it easy to clean. Cheesecloth can be used as a lid for enclosures that don’t have a top. Caterpillars cannot chew through cheesecloth but it allows air to travel in and out of the enclosure. If you are going to poke holes in a lid or enclosure to allow airflow, be sure the holes are very small or the caterpillar may find a way to escape through them.
Add sticks or twigs to your habitat. Caterpillars need sticks and twigs to crawl around on, and eventually, to hang off of as they enter their pupae stage. Adding sticks and twigs will also make your caterpillar feel more comfortable and at home. Make sure to place some of the sticks upright, leaned against the wall or top of the enclosure to give your caterpillar a place to climb. Place some sticks on their sides on the bottom of the enclosure as well.
Make sure the enclosure is safe for your caterpillar. Once you have the enclosure prepared, give it a once over to make sure it looks safe for your new caterpillar friend. Caterpillars can easily injure themselves or get trapped if an enclosure isn’t safely put together. Caterpillars can easily get cut by sharp edges in their enclosure. Make sure the areas around holes you punch are bent or sanded over so they can’t injure the caterpillar. Look at the ways your sticks are positioned to ensure the caterpillar couldn’t easily get trapped under or between them.
Ensure there is enough space if you have more than one caterpillar. If you have more than one caterpillar in your enclosure, it’s important that you provide each caterpillar with enough space to thrive. Make sure there is at least three times the body size of each caterpillar in the enclosure. If you plan to use the same enclosure for the caterpillars until they hatch into butterflies, you need to ensure there is enough room for them to expand their wings when they emerge from their cocoons.
Caring for Your Caterpillar
Place food in your enclosure. Caterpillars eat the leaves of the host plants you often find them on. Take some of the leaves from the type of plant your particular caterpillar prefers and place them in the enclosure to serve as a food source. Caterpillars will eat in their own time, so don’t worry if the caterpillar doesn’t begin eating as soon as you place leaves in the enclosure. If a caterpillar has more than one preferred host plant, add leaves from each to give the caterpillar a few choices. If you are unsure of a caterpillar’s host plant, add a few different kinds of leaves and see which one the caterpillar eats. Use those leaves for food from now on.
Provide your caterpillars with a water source. Caterpillars need water added to their enclosure on a daily basis. Do not place a water dish in your enclosure as caterpillars may fall into them and drown. Instead, simply spray some water onto the leaves each day and the caterpillars will drink from the droplets. Instead of spraying water onto the leaves, you can simply rinse them before you place them in the enclosure, that will provide enough water. If your caterpillar begins to look very dry, try spraying more water into the enclosure.
Clean the enclosure every day. You will need to remove uneaten leaves on a regular basis. Depending on the plant, leaves may last up to a week, or they may begin to dry out after only a few days. You may also want to replace the paper towels you place at the bottom of the enclosure as bedding. Replacing the bedding will remove caterpillar droppings and waste that could cause caterpillars to get sick. Remove old leaves any time you place new leaves in the enclosure.
Relocate the caterpillar pupae. If your container does not allow enough room for your caterpillars to emerge from their cocoon and spread their wings, you will need to relocate the cocoons to a larger enclosure once they enter them. Make sure the new enclosure has enough space for the butterflies to emerge from their cocoons and spread their wings. Be very gentle when removing the cocoons. You can handle them with your hands as long as you are very careful.
Taking Care of Butterfly Pupae
Hang the cocoon in its own container. If you are relocating your butterfly cocoons, you may want to simply move the twig it’s hanging from into a new, larger space. If that isn’t an option, there are a few ways you can hang the cocoons in their new habitat. You can use the glue from a hot glue gun, cooled slightly so it’s tacky, to attach the pointy end of the cocoon to a twig. You can puncture the pointy end of the cocoon with a needle and thread to hang it in your enclosure, but this can be dangerous, as you may hurt the caterpillar inside.
Base your anticipated timeline on the season. Most caterpillars will hatch from their cocoons as butterflies within ten to fourteen days, but some may not emerge from their cocoon at all during the winter months. In the Spring and Summer months, caterpillars will emerge as butterflies at the fastest rate. In the Fall, some caterpillar breeds may remain inside the cocoon for extended periods of time.
Look for the cocoon to change color. You will know that the butterfly will emerge from its cocoon soon when it changes colors. Some turn darker in color while others become clear, depending on the species of moth or butterfly inside. If the color of the cocoon changes, the butterfly will likely emerge within the next day or two. If a cocoon’s color becomes extremely dark, it is likely that the caterpillar inside died.
Provide food for your butterfly. Many butterflies and moths do not have digestive tracts once they reach the butterfly stage of their lives. These butterflies and moths usually only have a lifespan of a few days. Some others can and do eat. Make sure to provide some leaves from the host plant species of that butterfly in case your butterfly or moth eats. You may want to release your butterfly or moth at this point so it can pursue a mate. To release a moth or butterfly, simply open the container outside and allow it to fly away. You can also feed adult butterflies sugar water.
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