I've had them on malvas before, and I really don't know (will monitor thread) though they do remind me of silkmoths like cecropia.

I was on the right track, believe they are Io moth caterpillars:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automeris_io

Yes dbarron you are correct- thank you. I intended to put them in a bug box and let my daughter take them for her kindergartens - she is a teacher and they always raise a few monarchs but after reading about this kind I’ll just take it into woods and turn it loose.

I found another website too - owlcation.com that has great pictures and identification. Thanks again

Yes, I now feel sorry for last year (or the year before) picking these off my non-hardy tropical mallow. They're a very pretty moth and a group that is in decline.

Great ID of an uncommon cat. (Not that they are exceedingly rare, but rather that few people recognize them when they see them.) I read the question and was ready to answer Io moth cat but then as I read on down the thread I could see that dbarron beat me to it. lol. This is one of my faves and I don't see them often down here in southern OK.