{"id":9558,"date":"2017-08-07T08:34:48","date_gmt":"2017-08-07T12:34:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/?p=9558"},"modified":"2017-08-07T08:34:48","modified_gmt":"2017-08-07T12:34:48","slug":"take-5-caterpillar-craze","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-caterpillar-craze\/","title":{"rendered":"Take 5: Caterpillar Craze"},"content":{"rendered":"

What on earth are<\/em> caterpillars, anyway?<\/p>\n

“Caterpillar” is a common name for the “larval” (immature) stage of insects of the order Lepidoptera, a.k.a. butterflies and moths.<\/p>\n

Finding caterpillars in nature is not easy! The easiest way is to look on their preferred host plants. Monarch butterfly caterpillars, for example, prefer to eat milkweed plants, so that’s where you’re most likely to find them hanging out.<\/p>\n

If you love butterflies and caterpillars, you’re in luck! The 10th Annual Butterfly Festival<\/a> at Broad Meadow Brook in Worcester is this Saturday, August 12. There will be activities for kids including face painting, an obstacle course, a story tent, and nature-themed arts and crafts, as well as a Caterpillar Lab with caterpillar expert Sam Jaffe<\/a>.<\/p>\n

To celebrate these cute, crawly creatures, here are five caterpillar images from our Picture This: Your Great Outdoors Photo Contest. The 2017 photo contest<\/a> is open now, so enter today!<\/p>\n

\"Isabella

Isabella Tiger Moth Caterpillar (a.k.a. “Wooly Bear”) \u00a9 Callie Bucchino\u2014Wooly Bears are unique for being commonly identified by their larval stage rather than their adult stage.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Spicebush

Spicebush Swallowtail Caterpillar \u00a9 Brendan Cramphorn<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Brown-hooded

Brown-hooded Owlet (Cucullia convexipennis) \u00a9 Ron Verville<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Polyphemus

Polyphemus Moth Caterpillar \u00a9 Ingrid Moncada<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Monarch

Monarch Butterfly Caterpillar \u00a9 Sean Horton<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What on earth are caterpillars, anyway? “Caterpillar” is a common name for the “larval” (immature) stage of insects of the order Lepidoptera, a.k.a. butterflies and moths. Finding caterpillars in nature is not easy! The easiest way is to look on their preferred host plants. Monarch butterfly caterpillars, for example, prefer to eat milkweed plants, so […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":68,"featured_media":9574,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[158],"tags":[33,184,133,68],"class_list":["post-9558","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-take-5","tag-butterflies","tag-caterpillars","tag-insects","tag-monarch"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/08\/4046Sean_Horton16884_fi.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3t87A-2ua","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":11610,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-monarch-caterpillars\/","url_meta":{"origin":9558,"position":0},"title":"Take 5: Monarch Caterpillars","author":"Ryan D.","date":"September 17, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"As summer draws to a close and the days get shorter, the season's last generation of Monarch caterpillars are busily munching away at their favorite food: milkweed. This final calorie-binge will sustain them as they \"pupate,\" ensconcing themselves in a chrysalis\u00a0to spend 8\u201314 days metamorphosing into their adult butterfly form.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Take 5"","block_context":{"text":"Take 5","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/take-5\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Monarch Butterfly Caterpillar \u00a9 Sean Horton","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/09\/4046Sean_Horton16884.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/09\/4046Sean_Horton16884.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/09\/4046Sean_Horton16884.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/09\/4046Sean_Horton16884.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8753,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/5-tips-for-attracting-butterflies\/","url_meta":{"origin":9558,"position":1},"title":"5 Tips for Attracting Butterflies","author":"Hillary T.","date":"March 8, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Sure butterflies can be found frolicking in open meadows on warm, breezy summer days, but these exuberant and colorful insects can also be found in your own backyard\u2014if you play your cards right! What does it take to bring the flutter closer to home? 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While there, they were pleasantly surprised by what they saw. Here's Robert's report: --- The\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nature Notes"","block_context":{"text":"Nature Notes","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/nature-notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/09\/monarch600.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/09\/monarch600.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/09\/monarch600.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3465,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/the-leaf-eating-tree-damaging-little-green-caterpillar\/","url_meta":{"origin":9558,"position":3},"title":"The Leaf-Eating, Tree-Damaging, Little Green Caterpillar","author":"Mass Audubon","date":"April 28, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Remember the little pale green caterpillar that ate through your trees and roses last year? Well, it\u2019s back! The caterpillar stage of the invasive\u00a0winter moth (Operophtera brumato) eats young, tender leaves, sometimes before the leaves even get a chance to emerge from the bud. The winter moth caterpillar is just\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Gardening"","block_context":{"text":"Gardening","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/gardening\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/04\/wintermoth_Milan-Zubrik-Forest-Research-Institute-Slovakia-Bugwood.org_.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/04\/wintermoth_Milan-Zubrik-Forest-Research-Institute-Slovakia-Bugwood.org_.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/04\/wintermoth_Milan-Zubrik-Forest-Research-Institute-Slovakia-Bugwood.org_.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/04\/wintermoth_Milan-Zubrik-Forest-Research-Institute-Slovakia-Bugwood.org_.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9172,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/invasion-of-the-fuzzy-black-caterpillar\/","url_meta":{"origin":9558,"position":4},"title":"Invasion of the Fuzzy Black Caterpillar","author":"Hillary T.","date":"June 5, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"If you've noticed a bunch small, fuzzy black caterpillars with a red stripe you're not alone. This\u00a0invasive insect, which typically hatches in May, will spin long silken threads on which it travels up and down to find foliage.\u00a0Once the caterpillars find a suitable tree (oak, birch, and apple trees are\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nature Notes"","block_context":{"text":"Nature Notes","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/nature-notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/05\/IMG_2156.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/05\/IMG_2156.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/05\/IMG_2156.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":288,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/dont-weed-the-milkweed\/","url_meta":{"origin":9558,"position":5},"title":"Don’t Weed the Milkweed!","author":"Kristin S.","date":"July 10, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"If a gardening catalog offered a plant that sported unique flowers, attracted butterflies, fed and protected the beloved monarch butterfly, provided nesting material for goldfinches and orioles, was easy to grow, and was native to our state, wouldn\u2019t we be eager to plant some in our gardens? 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