What is this bug?

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SoFla94 Weston, FL Jun 25, 2009

While trying to find the culprit for all the holes I was seeing in my herbs, I found a few of these guys happily strolling on the soil between my basil, parsley, and oregano and on some of my parsley leaves. This one I found right as he was about to attack my oregano. It was the biggest one I found. It's walking right by the one of my parsley stems. I can't find info on them and to be honest, I don't even know what to label them as. Anyone have any ideas? How can I get rid of them?

Thank you!

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SoFla94 Weston, FL Jun 25, 2009

Here's a smaller one with a lighter color. Maybe it's younger?

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icanfindroom Jun 28, 2009

Well the good news is they're not tent caterpillars! :)
How big are they? They look tiny. If they are tiny they are probably a variety of moth. If they are larger they could be butterflies. I haven't seen anything that matches your little guys but one of your local nurseries or an extension office could probably help you out. Unless they are eating you out of your garden I would let them grow up. I think you have pics of two diff. types.
Sorry that's not much help. If I see something I'll let you know!

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GrammyJo Granite City, IL(Zone 6a) Jun 30, 2009

Many varieties of butterfly caterpillars LOVE herbs. Finding them on the soil kind of stumps me however. Are your herbs flowering at all? Black Swallowtails for instance love fennel flowers (and the rest of the plant also). I used to grow fennel for that specific purpose and raised quite a few beauties (well, those the wrens didn't eat first). If you really hate them I'd just pick them off and toss em. But what a shame if they're butterflies in the making!

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iluvcatz Westerly, RI Jul 05, 2009

whatever you do dont kill them. get a little bucket or planter to put them in when you find them and bring them to a park or nature resurve

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