I see anney, that someone has been learning and bookmarking... *wink* sarahlynnwhite, Expect your plants to host migrating insects. It's perfectly natural. No need to panic, just get informed before making rash decisions. Pest management is complex, if you wish to use chemical products, do so responsibly which goes further than reading the label. If you want to learn, a good place to start is here: Integrated Pest Management This lecture is presented in two parts. Each part is 90-minutes in length. Recorded in Sacramento County in California's Sacramento Valley, this lecture is by Mary Louise Flint, Ph.D., Director, IPM Education and Publications, UC Statewide IPM Project and Extension Entomologist & Cooperative Extension Specialist. Education: B.S. Plant Science, University of California, Davis Ph.D. Entomology, University of California, Berkeley Appointment: 100% Cooperative Extension Research Interests: Integrated pest management of landscape, agricultural and garden pests; biological control of arthropod pests; alternatives to pesticides; adoption of alternative practices by practitioners; innovative delivery of pest management information. Topics discussed in the Integrated Pest Management Lecture: * IPM references and resources * Preventing pest problems * Natural common enemies * Making less toxic pesticide choices * Controlling aphids, scales, caterpillars, coddling moths, tree borers, snails and slugs, and lawn insects. You can watch the programs now online: Just make sure you have Real Player installed or download it free. Integrated Pest Management Part1 90 minutes Integrated Pest Management Part 2 90 minutes You'll want to bookmark the following link to Professor Flint's Lab Research on: Controlling Pests in Gardens and Landscapes: Vegetables and Melons I promise you'll learn one or two things to put in your gardening bag of pest management arsenals. ;)

Jeff,I shoot with a Canon model 40D using a 100mm f/2.8 macro lens. The camera comes with optional operating modes...full manual, aperture priority and shutter priority. Of these options, I almost always select the aperture priority. This allows me to select an aperture opening that maximizes the depth of field since I am usually as close to the subject as I can get. In this operating mode, the cameras software and internal metering selects the proper shutter speed to create the proper lighting. The other consideration is that I ALWAYS use the SPOT metering selection. The other settings measure the focus and exposure at a number of spots in the framed area and then averages all the readings to arrive at the focus and exposure. When shooting subjects that are only a tiny segment of the photo area, (flowers, caterpillars, butterflies, etc.), the SPOT metering selection causes your camera to use ONLY the subject in the dead center of the frame, which in our case is usually a small and centered portion of the frame. I also shoot, using the EV (Exposure Value) on most of my shots. My EV settings are usually -1/3, -2/3, and -1. I shoot three exposures of almost everything I shoot, one at each EV setting. The final thing is that I shoot LOTS of photos...about 10,000 exposures per year. I don't keep any that I consider below standards. Finally, 99% of my photos are shot using a tripod. Elimination of camera "blur" will dramatically improve the quality of the results obtained. Most digital cameras of today have all these options, and more, to assist in getting the shots to your liking. I also use Photoshop to edit my photos after they are downloaded to my computer...depending on the version, the exposure can be altered after it is shot to "Some" degree. I hope this helps some.

The very faint banding across the caterpillar's body, makes me reasonably sure it's a salt marsh moth caterpillar. SMM cats are fairly common, but I've never found more than one on a plant, or, for that matter, more than one in a general area. So unless the plant yours is eating is small and prized, I'd leave it where it is. They make a beautiful moth - Here's one I found a few years ago, with the "face" in full view. The coloring of these caterpillars varies, and the same caterpillar will change with different instars, but the very faint banding across the body is diagnostic - If you want to remove it, please just move it to a plant you don't care about being chewed a little. Sherry

I also spray it with one of the following, not all of them AT THE SAME TIME. Saffer's soap, soap and water with greese in it. Neem oil, Windex, alconol diluted spray, Amways soap with coconut, hair shampoo with coconut oil. ( Yardley's), any brand of Cactus pest spray. Use a new clean pot. Do NOT use Peat Moss in the soil. Make sure the plant is getting plenty of air circulation. My hand hurts so can't make corrections. Remove all dead leaves first. Norma