Francesca's notes & observations:

Caterpillars, moths and butterflies
A caterpillar is a larva of a moth or butterfly. A butterfly or moth will lay an egg from which a caterpillar will eat it's way out of. A caterpillar eats leaves of the plant which its mother has chosen. It eats until it outgrows its skin and sheads it. To shed it's skin, the caterpillar must weave a silk pad and rub against it which allows the skin to slip off. It does this process about four or five times. The last time it sheds its skin, the skin underneath hardens to form a case called a chrysalis or cocoon. It will remain there for weeks to years and when it emerges it is a beautiful butterfly or moth.

(below) Spike

Below: Braeden S. of Flushing, age 3, observes newly emerged monarch butterflies in "bug tent"

Francesca A. and her family went to Fryburg, Maine in August 2004. Francesca took this photo (below) of a black (unidentified) caterpillar.  [color altered by web guy]