For better & for worse, caterpillars are integral to the health of our forests. They may defoliate hundreds or thousands of acres, but they are the dietary staple of many mammals & birds. Some caterpillars ingest fallen leaves, thereby hastening decomposition & soil formation. This guide will enable forest managers, entomologists, & nonspecialists to identify many of the eastern region's most frequently encountered species. Chapters: life cycle; morphology; collecting caterpillars & eggs; verifying identification; rearing caterpillars; preserving specimens; photographing caterpillars; species descriptions. Glossary. Color photos.