Cluster of caterpillars on sunflower leaves

[RMR]

So I have found little “clusters” of small, brown, fuzzy little caterpillars on a couple leaves on my sunflowers. I can’t figure out what they are to know whether they’re good bugs...like a type of butterfly...or some nasty other pest.

I can post a picture if that helps.

 

[Chuck]

So I have found little “clusters” of small, brown, fuzzy little caterpillars on a couple leaves on my sunflowers. I can’t figure out what they are to know whether they’re good bugs...like a type of butterfly...or some nasty other pest.

I can post a picture if that helps.

Without pictures we probably can't help with identification but can guarantee you that your sunflowers will not be happy as long as they are being eaten. Caterpillars come from either moths or butterflies and I don't know of any butterfly that has small, brown, fuzzy little caterpillars. Spray with a Bt. product.

 

[Matriste]

Not sure what is on my sunflowers. They are being eaten. What is Bt. product?

 

[Chuck]

Not sure what is on my sunflowers. They are being eaten. What is Bt. product?

Bt is short for Bacillus thuringensis. Bt is a natural soil bacteria and is by far the best remedy for getting rid of caterpillars there is. It ONLY kills caterpillars, nothing else.

 

[Marck]

So I have found little “clusters” of small, brown, fuzzy little caterpillars on a couple leaves on my sunflowers. I can’t figure out what they are to know whether they’re good bugs...like a type of butterfly...or some nasty other pest.

I can post a picture if that helps.

Greetings, welcome to the Forums.

It certainly would have been nice to see photos, but all the same, clusters of 'brown fuzzy' caterpillars on Sunflowers (Helianthus) could very likely be the larvae of one of several species of Butterfly (Nymphalidae), which frequently use Helianthus and other Astereaceae as a larval food source.

Overall, at least seven or eight New World butterflies (all in the Nymphalidae) are known to use Helianthus as a native larval food plant, including Actinote pellenae, Aglais milberi, Chlosyne gorgone, Chlosyne nycteis, Chlosyne californica, Chlosyne lacinia, Vanessa cardui, Vanessa virginiensis.

Read more about it: https://extension.sdstate.edu/thistle-caterpillars-sunflower

Brown & Fuzzy enough? These are Silvery Checkerspot Butterfly caterpillars (Chlosyne nycteis) feeding on Sunflower (Helianthus)