What's up caterpillar butt?

It is hard to watch caterpillars and not touch them. I want to participate in 'raising the young" if you will, but my interference would be just that, interfering. they know what they are doing, for the most part, I can only watch.

Each day I check on them seems to bring out new hatchlings. I was up to nine the other day but only had seven yesterday and that was with the inclusion of yet another new caterpillar, so I'm fairly certain we lost three of them to something. Maybe they were on lower leaves and I just didn't see them, but I looked for quite some time.

I'm hoping we get chrysalis soon. I talked to a co-worker who has collected them for years for the classrooms and she says they aren't that late but I still worry. I suppose I don't really want them heading south during hurricane season, but I'd like them out of here fairly quickly as I need to dig up my peony plants to take them with me.

One thing I wasn't expecting was the amount of pillar poop these guys put out. It is kind of impressive.