I found two kinds of caterpillars on an oak tree in a park near my house this week.

The first one I found is a fuzzy cat called The Laugher or Charadra deridens, in the Pantheidae family. It is now in its cocoon.

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Here is a shot of its face which is kind of scary! I had just gone to see "The Phantom of the Opera" on Sunday and when I found this guy, it reminded me of the Phantom after Christine removes his mask! Wild hair and all!

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The other caterpillars I found were in folded leaf nests--very tiny--on new growth. I have had to crop the picture twice so as to get a good view. I have narrowed the ID down to the Erynnis or Duskywing family of skippers.

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I am going to try to raise the three cats I found. So far they are growing, but apparently they will feed all summer! I am putting fresh young Oak leaves in picks to feed them. Wagner says they "hole up in their leaf shelters and fall to the ground with other leaves." So I may not see a butterfly until next spring.

Sandy