10 caterpillars to look for this spring

A North American classic. This bright black, white, and yellow striped caterpillar eventually transforms into the elegant monarch butterfly. They’re often found feeding on milkweed, a plant with poisonous sap which, in turn, makes the monarch caterpillar poisonous to predators.

This furry, little, brown-and-cream-coloured caterpillar transforms into the Sycamore Tussock Moth, a ghostly pale moth with hints of yellow and brown. They tend to feed on sycamore leaves.

This massive neon green caterpillar can grow up to five inches long, eventually transforming into the bat-sized Cecropia Moth. The caterpillar’s body is covered in strange blue and orange clubs, and it feeds on oak, willow, and maple leaves.

This invasive, blue-and-red-spotted caterpillar tends to tear through forests. It multiples easily and strips oak trees down to the branch. It transforms into the common Gypsy Moth.

A hairy, slug-like caterpillar, this one’s often referred to as the “Elvis Caterpillar” because of its stylish pompadour. But those hairs pack a harsh sting and are best to be avoided. They eat oak and elm leaves, and wild plums, eventually transforming into the Puss Moth—a white moth with a hypnotic pattern on its wings that look like soundwaves.

This caterpillar is often mistaken for a tiny snake. With fake snake eyes poised near the top of its head and an organ called an “osmeteria” that looks like a forked red tongue and sticks out when they’re aggravated, it’s easy to see why. This caterpillar eats spicebushes and eventually transforms into the stunning, dark-winged Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly.

Another strange looking caterpillar, these little, neon-green guys look like they've been flattened. But careful checking up on them, their back is covered with a stinging spine. They mainly eat oak, cherry, maple, basswood, elm, and beech leaves. Eventually, they transform into the Crowned Slug Moth whose exterior resembles tree bark.

This caterpillar comes in shades of bright orange and neon green with little markings along its side that look like eyes. They tend to eat grapes and Virginia creepers, and eventually transform into the leaf-like Pandora Sphinx Moth.

These neon green caterpillars with the red-and-white racing stripes along their sides look like they belong under the sea. But beware of their algae-looking spikes, those things pack quite the sting. They tend to eat roses and other garden plants. Eventually, they transform into the giant silk moth whose wings are marked by two giant eye-like circles.

While this caterpillar isn't quite as intimidating as its namesake, their bristles can cause discomfort to the stomach linings of their predators. They're not picky when it comes to feeding. They'll eat anything from oak leaves to dandelions. Eventually, they transform into the Isabella tiger moth.