I am not up on Lepidopteras. Last week I was at work mowing at various sites, and when we got to a site, I looked down at my mower and there was a caterpiller on it that I didn’t know what it was (later ID’d as Ctenucha virginica), I was at a bit of a loss as to what to put it on and just picked a …

There is no plant which is a host of all caterpillars, so normally you would need to know species to identify suitable hosts.

That is a good question to ask. When I find a caterpillar in a dangerous place in the open and I don’t know the host plant. I put it back on any nearby plant with sufficient leaves to hide it from the sun and birds. I assume that the caterpillar’s efficient locomotion will get it back to a food plan…

@botanicaltreasures so putting it on the ground at the base of the plant might be the best option?

I just put them on the ground under plants, they wil find the host later.

Often when caterpillars are wondering around it means they’re finished eating and are trying to get away from its host plant to form a pupa. I’m guessing it’s because predators and parasites would target the host plant.

I’d say so. :slightly_smiling_face::bug:

@upupa-epops . I think that begs the question; what kind of structure do most caterpillars prefer for pupating?

It is intriguing to consider why the caterpillar was found where it was. Was it foraging or looking for sheltered real estate to pupate on? The size of the caterpillar would give a clue as to whether it was an early or late stage instar. If it were ready to pupate than it might not even choose a pla…

@botanicaltreasures , (for us amateurs) how can we tell the difference between young, hungry, foraging caterpillars and old, fat, and sleepy caterpillars just looking for somewhere to do their power ranger thing? :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

Putting caterpillars on plants

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Putting caterpillars on plants

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