"J Kolenovsky" wrote in message
...
The reason you have catapillars is that the plant is a HOST for them. The
cats are probably butterflies or moths in the making. The eating of the
plant is not harmful for the plant, just in your eyes. Open your eyes and
find out what butterflies are hosted by your passionflower. Then you can
observe the beauty when they metamorphose. If you are keeping watch so you
can squash, look for the cocoon and put it in a jar with a metal top and
some air holes and a leaf or two from plant, wait a short time and you'll
have a butterfly.

JK

I tolerate a certain number of "orange dogs" on my two citrus trees for that
reason - they mature into the handsome Giant Swallowtail butterfly (papilo
cresphontes).

I'll hand pick the worst of them to keep damage in check (yuck - they look
like fresh bird poop and their startle response is - well, startling) - or
preferably hand pick the eggs, which are orangish grey, solitary, about 1mm
diameter and found most often on new growth.

I inevitably miss a few which pupate (looking like dried bird poop, natch).
I leave these to mature into new butterflies.

--
Mike Harris
Austin, TX