I found (1st instar) caterpillar on a small potted tropical milkweed plant I have on my back patio. It's a real mystery as to what type of cat it is. There are also several monarch eggs that were recently laid on it as well (yaaaaa!) There are only so many caterpillars that eat milkweed, and it does not look like any of them. It definitely ate a hole in one of the leaves. The cat is greenish/brown with two white/light colored stripes going down its back. It gets bulkier towards the head (similar to a swallowtail), and looks like it has two eye spots like a swallowtail, but does not look anything like a 1st instar of a swallowtail from all the pictures I've seen. It doesn't have the horizontal striping of the monarch or any of the look a likes (queen, soldier, etc.) The only other cat I know of that eats milkweed is the milkweed tussock moth, which it looks nothing like either. They are light in color and usually the eggs are laid in groups in webbing. Unfortunately, I did not see the egg. I moved it to a potted milkweed that did not have any monarch eggs on it, just in case it would eat them. So curious to find out what it may be. Anyone have any ideas? Do you think it could be something that doesn't normally eat milkweed? Any ideas welcome! Sorry, but it is just to small for me to take a picture with my camera at this point. If it should survive, I will take one when it gets bigger.

Cathy