I assume you mean the book by my old cohort Steve who lives in the Denver area. Foodplants of World Saturniidae, Stephen E. Stone. It was published in 1991 as a memoir of The Lepidopterists' Society. The data was complied by Steve from the field efforts of the very best researchers worldwide for this group of moths. It is a great aide for anybody who wants to look for wild livestock or rear Saturniidae. I can get you the LCC/ISBN for the book if you need them. Thinking about this sure brings back some fond memories of field work with Steve. So you are stuck with a story I am afraid. Steve is wheelchair bound but it doesn't slow him down much when there's bugs to do. I well remember a trip with him and Dr. Paul Opler up to Beaver Creek, CO one Saturday with some newly emerged female H. nuttalli I had flew in from Utah with to prove to Paul my hypotheses that this group of Hemileuca's pheromones were so close to each other that they would call in other species besides H. nuttalli. I called in lots of three species with the female H. nuttalli that day - nuttalli, hera and eglanterina to prove my hypotheses. Then in the very wee hours the next morning Steve, Andy Warren (now Dr.) and I drove the 9+ hours to the CO/NM border to look for H. magnifica at its type locality near Mesita, CO. I estabished a new and very unusual LFP record for H. magnifica (Eriogonum effusum), both a county record and new LFP record for Euphilotes rita also that day in Costillo Co (also on E. effusum), and a county record for H. magnifica in Taos Co, NM. Steve followed Andy and I in a 4X4 truck as we walked the washes and plateaus through the head high Indian sagebrush looking for livestock (the sand was too deep for his wheelchair). He'd simple hit the horn to get our attention when he spotted something. We made a stop on the way back at Plum Creek, CO (TL of H. diana) for what turned out to be a very near a 24 hour day start to finish. Karen about skinned my hide for keeping Steve out so long (I didn't tell her it was his idea). Anyway, it was a very fruitful Saturniidae weekend for all of use, proved some theories and established some new records. I flew back to UT early the next morning (back to the real day job). I'm listed in the personal correspondents appendex in Steve's book along with some of the other gents from around the world I worked on Saturniidae projects with back during those years. Unfortunately some of the best have passed on, but their lifes work is still with us and their known LFP's at the time recorded in Steve's book.

Thanks Sherry! I saw that one in my little book, but it didn't show the legs and said that it had some yellow spots too.......so I didn't search further. But I just googled it, and sure enough, that's it! Thanks a bunch! I can always count on you to know the answers! :)

If you can take pictures, you can almost always have any caterpillar identified in a flash right here in the gardenweb. Learning the identity of what you find munching away on your plants is key to your decision making process of whether to let them be or not. Your description of the behavior of your pests is what led Jean to reasonably suggest that you have Fall webworms without seeing an image. Time of year, as well as the location of these webby nests were important clues. Next, you need to learn about caterpillar host plants. Many moths and butterfly adults will only deposit their eggs on certain plants. Thus, identifying the PLANT becomes important. There is nothing wrong whatsoever in sacrificing a host plant to support a caterpillar species. If you visit the Butterfly Forum, you will find a large community of people who plan and plant for that very reason. Many of the folks over there take it to the next step and collect caterpillars of favored butterflies and moths to rear in the safety of cages. If you visit that forum, and I suggest that you do, be SURE to read up in the FAQ section first, as many of your questions will be answered there. Butterfly caterpillars don't typically 'nest'. When they reach a predetermined size, they begin a occupation process which usually means the formation of a chrysalis. Moths make cocoons out of silk. The large 'nests' that you are witnessing are normal for a very few species...like tent caterpillars and webworms.

It sure does! Thank you! Our first Butterfly that stayed for awhile. She hopped from Coneflower to Mexican Heather and was there when we walked away. My son and I were so pleased.