How to care for a Caterpillar?
If you don’t know for sure what kind of caterpillar you’ve found, feeding it can be tricky. Most caterpillars are herbivores, eating only plants. Some caterpillars feed on a variety of food plants, while others consume only a specific plant. You can’t force a caterpillar to eat something different – it will simply stop eating. A little trial and error may be required to find the proper food. Your first and most important clue is where you found the caterpillar. Was it on a plant? If so, there’s a good chance that’s its food. Take some cuttings of the plant, and be sure to include both new and old leaves, as well as flowers if the plant has bloomed. Some caterpillars prefer old leaves to new ones, and others may feed on the flowers. Offer the cuttings to your caterpillar, and see if it eats anything. If the caterpillar was not on a plant at the time you found it, you’ll have to make some educated guesses about what to feed it. What plants are nearby? Start with those, taking cuttings an
