[header] How to care for a caterpillar [title] Choose the right time of year. [step] The best time to go caterpillar hunting is during the spring and summer, as this is when the majority of moths and butterflies will lay their eggs. However, some species-such as the woolly bear caterpillar-emerge in autumn. 
Winter is the only time of year when caterpillars cannot be found. [substeps] In the wild, caterpillar typically have a 2% survival rate, which means that for every 100 eggs a female butterfly or moth lays, only two will survive to maturity.