There are many different species of caterpillar, and they can range in length and width.

If you’re having trouble identifying these parts, look at the caterpillar under a magnifying glass for a closer view.

The caterpillar will sometimes lose the legs on its abdomen before forming a cocoon, so it’s best to rely on the thorax legs to confirm whether an insect is a caterpillar or not.

For example, Monarch butterfly caterpillars tend to live on and eat milkweed. In contrast, centipedes, millipedes, and worms tend to live in the dirt, under rocks, or in rotting wood.

Keep in mind that the color of a caterpillar can sometimes change depending on its life cycle and growth. You may see a few different colors along the insect’s body, so try to choose which is the most dominant shade. For example, the species ‘’Nemoria arizonaria’’ matches the brown color of the oak tree it is found on during the spring and the green leaves of the tree during the fall.

Some species are colored to resemble predators like snakes, with eye-like markings to make them look bigger, or they are colored to resemble poisonous or unpleasant things. For example, the tiger swallowtail butterfly larvae have patterns to resemble bird excrement.

For instance, “woolly” and Tussock moth caterpillars, have long, fuzzy hairs that make them look soft!

This is a great way to quickly identify a species and whether or not it’s poisonous. For example, the Discover Life website at https://www. discoverlife. org/mp/20q?guide=Caterpillars has a helpful identification guide that’s broken into these sections.

It’s best to stick with local organizations for the most accurate results. If you don’t have an insect enthusiast group near you, you can try sending the image to a local university’s biology department for more information. You can visit https://www. butterfliesandmoths. org/identify for identification help if you have a picture of a caterpillar found in North America.

If possible, try to find one as specific as possible to the geographic location where you’ll be looking for caterpillars.