Do caterpillars drink water?

Caterpillars do not drink water. They normally obtain sufficient fluids from the food plants that they eat.

Outdoors, many overwintering caterpillars benefit from rain or other moisture reaching them.

If you are rearing some species, such as tiger moth caterpillars, it is good to add a few drops of moisture to keep them from drying out too much. Learn more about rearing species at Raising Butterflies.