Before developing beautiful and intricate coloured wings, butterflies and moths start out as caterpillars. During this stage of development, the caterpillar eats and grows and eats and grows, shedding its skin several times until it enters the transition stage and becomes a pupa. Because moths and butterflies undergo complete metamorphosis, the caterpillars bear no resemblance to the adults they will become. As such, and as there are thousands of different species of moths and butterflies in North America, identifying caterpillars can be very difficult. Some are familiar, and easy to identify, but many times caterpillars simply have to be recorded as "caterpillar species". If you recognize any of these caterpillars, please let me know!