Milkweed Tussock Moth caterpillar - Euchaetes egle

No, they started in the middle of the plant

Here is a link to the newly hatched caterpillars that I put on my website:
http://www.easttennesseewildflowers.com/gallery/view_photo.php?set_albumName=Moths&id=Copy_of_Caterpillars_hatching1
You can see by this photo why I had to wait until they got a little larger to know what they were (although I suspected they were Milkweed Tussock Moth caterpillars).
The photo following that one shows the mass of caterpillars when they are recognizable:
http://www.easttennesseewildflowers.com/gallery/view_photo.php?set_albumName=Moths&id=Copy_of_Moth_Milkweed_Tussock_group
That many mouths munching away can sure do a job on a plant in a short amount of time!

… Kris Light, 8 September, 2008 - 9:35pm

Milkweed tussock moth caterpillars

I found a mass of nearly 100 eggs on my milkweed last year and watched to see what they hatched into. They turned out to be this caterpillar. I was amazed to see how they devoured leaf after leaf as they grew and ate en masse, I quit counting after 50 leaves! They even ate the seed pods when they ran out of leaves! I would imagine these caterpillars are poisonous due to their bright coloration and the fact they eat the poisonous milkweed leaves.

… Kris Light, 8 September, 2008 - 8:21pm

Just curious...

Did the caterpillars start at the bottom and work their way up? (They did so on a neighbor's plant)

… apgarm, 8 September, 2008 - 9:22pm

Milkweed Tussock Moth caterpillars

I took the picture of the caterpillar while I was on a hike. so I can't answer that for sure. I would guess that to be true as there were no leaves left on lower part of the plant.

… larrycarol, 9 September, 2008 - 11:15am

Milkweed Tussock Moth

More info here
http://bugguide.net/node/view/433

and welcome to bugguide!

… apgarm, 8 September, 2008 - 7:26pm