where do i find caterpillars!?

Depends on what kind you are searching for, for example the tent caterpillar is found in an extremely wide area and in a large variety of trees. The favored hosts of this insect are broad-leaved trees:

In the Northeast, sugar maple and aspens;

In the Lake States, quaking aspen and oaks;

In the Appalachians and in the Central States, oaks;

In the Mid-South and in southern coastal States, water tupelo, sweetgum, and swamp blackgum;

In the Mississippi Valley, cottonwood and elms;

In Texas, oaks;

In the Northwest, red alder and willow.

Other tree species fed upon include birch, cherry, basswood, and ash. Species not fed upon are red maple, sycamore, and most conifers. After they have stripped trees, the caterpillars feed on wild and ornamental shrubs. Even the leaves of cultivated fruits and vegetables can become a food source for these destructive pests.

"Safe" caterpillars include:

Sulphurs

Painted Ladies

Swallowtails

Gulf Fritillaries

Most butterflies.

The best caterpillars to raise are Monarchs or a Black Swallowtails. Unless you have LOTS of milkweed to feed the Monarch caterpillars, stick to the Black Swallowtail. They eat a more common plant that's more easily acquired.

Monarchs will only eat plants in the Milkweed family. There are over 100 varieties available. They grow in many wild places throughout the US. Monarch caterpillars are big eaters and poopers. They have a really lovely chrysalis, and you can tell before the butterfly emerges, because the skin of the chrysalis will become clear, and you can see the wing markings through it.

Black Swallowtail caterpillars eat plants in the Umbellifer family. This includes parsley, dill, fennel, even carrots (the green tops). If you don't have these plants in an herb garden, you can easily go to the nursery and buy these herbs.

This caterpillar is an interesting specimen, maybe even a bit scary looking - it has a 'scent horn' that sticks out of its head when disturbed. This caterpillar, like most other caterpillars, is an eating, pooping machine. This caterpillar is bad tasting to birds and other predators because of toxins absorbed from the host plants.

The chrysalis will be either green or brown, depending on the conditions where it pupates. It, too, will become transparent just before the butterfly emerges.

It is usually the moth caterpillars that sting. Caterpillars are delicate creatures, too much (or rough) handling can kill them or damage internal organs. Don't disturb caterpillars preparing to pupate, do not UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE attempt to move it! Once it's attached itself, leave it alone. If you gather one from the wild, instead of picking the caterpillar from the plant, clip the twig its on, and place the whole twig in the container, allowing it to crawl on its own to the new food.

http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/fidls/ftc/tentca...

http://insects.about.com/od/butterfliesmoths/ig/St...

http://www.stephentvedten.com/22_Caterpillars.pdf

http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/entfactp...

Well, for starters, it is currently winter. Wait until summer and you should find plenty.

Then look for caterpillars on known host plants. For example, monarch caterpillars feed only on milkweed. Black swallowtails eat plants in the parsley family.

You can find info about host plants for hundreds of butterfly species at this site:

http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/

HA HA HA! I got it. They think the moth is either hang gliding or in an airplane... Very good! I'd take it caterpillars want their 100 or so legs on terra firma. (And with things the way they are today, can't say I blame them!)

Where ever you see butterflys laying eggs you will later see caterpillars, then their cacoons, then the butterflys again.

louisiana! i havent seen any up north like midwest