Update on Caterpillar

I posted my questions about my caterpillar's identity to two groups I belong to - a nature group & a Charlotte Mason group. Several ladies quickly came back with the answer - I had found a Sphinx Moth caterpillar! I wish I would have saved him!

I was surprised to learn that these caterpillars burrow in the ground to pupate. And, I wish we would have tried to watch him change into a moth! Anyway, it's been a wonderful, nature-filled day. We've spent a lot of time in the yard looking for other fascinating bugs. We found and identified some orange assasin bugs. One of them was eating a fly! We also found something that might be a wheel bug. And, we found a small, metallic blue fly - my sister told me what he was, but I've forgotten. We also killed some aphids on our milkweed. We're happy that they are doing very well now, although they only have a few leaves.