Caterpillars = Life for Butterflies & Beyond Its simple: you cant kill caterpillars and expect butterflies. 曆 Caterpillars transform into colorful, pollinating butterflies Theyre also a vital food source for birds, reptiles, small mammals, and insects A single chickadee brood needs 6,000 caterpillars to survive Without caterpillars, the entire food web suffers Plant native host plants, leave space in your garden, and share it with caterpillars youre nurturing butterflies and the planets health.