How to Locate a Caterpillar

If you want to raise an adult butterfly or moth, you will first need to locate a caterpillar. This can be tricky, because caterpillars camouflage themselves with plants and flowers, and most caterpillars are small. But if you know where to look, you will increase your chances of locating one. Start your search in your garden, and you may find you don't need to travel to a park or forest. You might be surprised at how many you can find living right under your nose.

Plant guide

Instructions

- 1
  Identify plants in your garden using a plant guide. The most popular butterfly caterpillars (such as monarchs and swallowtails) tend to favor milkweed, spicebush, and herbs such as dill, fennel, or parsley. Tomato, tobacco and oak plants are popular hangouts for moth caterpillars; if you're going to raise the caterpillar to an adult, you may want to avoid these.
- 2
  Wait for rainy or damp weather to disperse before trying to locate a caterpillar. Caterpillars like warm, sunny days and will be easier to find on such days. For best results, wait until it is warmer than 70 degrees to hunt for them.
- 3
  Search on top of leaves and across stems of the plants you identified in step one. The caterpillar may be vertically positioned against an upright stem, or moving across the surface of a leaf.
- 4
  Gently lift up leaves of plants to check their underside. Caterpillars are able to slide upside down on the bottom of leaves to hide from heat and bright lights. They might not be on the stem or on top of the leaves, so check underneath.
- 5
  Find leaves that have sections of their foliage missing. It's likely a caterpillar has eaten it, and may still be nearby. Check the edges of leaves to find those that may have been munched on.

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