On the crawl: Why so many caterpillars are wriggling around Arizona
White-lined sphinx moth caterpillars can grow up to 5 inches long. After abundant monsoon storms, caterpillars are showing up in Arizona swimming pools and gardens, and on walls and hiking trails.
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MESA — Kelsey Shaw and her two children pick up large yellow and green caterpillars just off the Bush Highway near Saguaro Lake. The children have no hesitation handling these nearly 2- to 3-inch-long caterpillars, letting them crawl all over their clothes.
Not only are caterpillars abundant on roadways, they’re showing up in swimming pools and gardens, and on walls and hiking trails around Arizona, including Tucson. The caterpillars are on a mission to eat as much as they can before becoming white-lined sphinx moths.
