I have a shrub with 2 cocoons that are made out of silk and small sticks. They are about 1 inch long. I saw one caterpillar come out to feed on
Answer
Jessica, if you could be more specific about caterpillar it would help. Most of the cocoons are good. Do you know where the caterpillar is now? What does it look like? Some caterpillars, although they eat the plants, aren't really all that bad. For instance the tiger swallow tail and monarch (look them up!). I even don't mind one or two tomato horn worms on my tomatoes as they are the caterpillar of the sphinx moth, which is 4-6 inches wing span. Quite dramatic. If you see these caterpillars on tomatoes and they have white bumps on their back, be sure to leave them alone. Those are the eggs of a parasitic wasp sucking the insides out! Mother Nature's insect control. So it can be quite educational to keep an eye on these caterpillars. You also can put them in a jar with air holes and see what hatches which helps with ID. If they are good be sure to replace the butterfly where you found the caterpillar as there likely is a food source nearby. We look forward to more information and pictures if possible. ep