a caterpillar 'nesting' in asters

has anyone else noticed inch long, light green caterpillars in asters? .. it looks as though they are spinning a cocoon around themselves as there are fine filaments of web like material where the caterpillars are .. i'm wondering whether to leave them on the plant, or not .. i found half a dozen on a different aster earlier today .. ? .. thanks

 

Got them in my Aster also - on the Island - I have been picking them off with tweezers but that takes hours as there has to be a few hundred on there.

 

I ended up doing the same, although i didn't have hundreds .. they are sort of like a "silk worm" and i don't know that they will harm the aster, other than make certain leaves look a bit desicrated with webbing .. maybe that would be the extent of it, and in a matter of time they would leave the plant, no worse for their being there .. what do you think? ..

 

before removing them, you should find out what they are!! they may be the juvenile form of a beneficial insect! can either of you post some pics??