ID caterpillar?

secuono · Sep 7, 2012

I've found a whole bunch of 2in fat and fluffy caterpillars this morning. They were not in the garden, but on the curly dock leaves. I'd say at least 8 of them and then I found a big, green praying mantis that I moved off the porch and into the grass.
The caterpillars were white to a rich yellow/gold in color. Any ideas on what they are, safe to be out there?
I'll get pics if I can.

secuono · Sep 7, 2012

Also, should I leave the Zig spiders alone? I've got 30+ easily in the front yard alone...

Stubbornhillfarm · Sep 7, 2012

Those caterpillars are cool. I had to look because they so closely ressemble the "wooly bear caterpillar" that we have around here. Seems as though they are one in the same. Who would have guessed?

http://bugguide.net/node/view/498

secuono · Sep 7, 2012

Huh, why do they come in so many colors?

so lucky · Sep 7, 2012

I don't believe the caterpillars or the spiders will harm your garden. I love those big old yellow spiders. We enjoy observing them in their webs for days, then a wind/rain storm tears it all down, and they have to start again.

schmije · Sep 7, 2012

Those are great pictures! Especially the spiders.

The caterpillars remind me of the woolly worms that we have here. Rumor has it that the black ones mean we'll have a harsh winter, and the brown ones mean winter will be mild. Never heard an explanation for the white ones. :lol:

I found one in a bucket yesterday - brown. I have no idea whether they're good or bad, but we have tons of them.

secuono · Sep 7, 2012

Thanks.
I've always heard that the more black, the harsher the winter...I think. I never payed attention, tho.

journey11 · Sep 7, 2012

Wow, I've never seen a spider eating an earthworm before! I thought they only caught things that flew into their web. Wonder how it got up there?

Other than that, yep, let the spiders be. They are your gardening buddies and will catch bad buggies for you. They don't hurt anything (well, veggie, that is!)

I'm not sure what the catepillars are, but if you see them on your veggies, you might want to squish them. Most moth/butterfly larvae eat a specific kind of plant. If they just eat the weeds, no problem. I get a lot of swallowtail catepillars on my dill, anise, parsley and fennel. They don't consume much of it though, so I leave them.

hoodat · Sep 8, 2012

I'd be cautious with those caterpillars. A pillar with hair all over like the wooly bears is safe to handle but those with tufts can have poisonous spines. Those look somewhere in between. Orb weaving spiders don't catch enough bugs to be very efficient predators but they're fun to watch. Jumping and wolf spiders are more efficient predators. They don't sit and wait for something to come along. They hunt down their prey. Since the pillars seem to prefer curly dock they are probably harmless to your garden plants; at any rate they look as though they are about ready to make cocons. They will probably Winter over in that form and emerge as butterflies (or moths) in the Spring.

Danny015 · Oct 27, 2012

If i am not mistaken woolly caterpillars are used to forecast the coming winter weather.

Spiders, mantises will help you curb or eliminate those bugs and pest without using pesticides. They are natural pests buster.

ID caterpillar?

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