green worms on milkweed

[luv]

I just joined your group. I live in Houston, tx.(Northwest part) My hobby is gardening and planting to attract butterflies. I have only about ten milkweed plants and need advice on a very destructive worm. This past week, I thought the aphids were weakening my milkweeds, but the last 2 or 3 days the plants were zapped of leaves. I finally spotted small green worms encased inside webs and attached on the underside of the leaves.I have hand picked and destroyed most of the worms, but my milkweed has no leaves left for the caterpillars I had spotted. Does anyone know what this worm is called? Will my milkweed recover? These plants have done well for about 4 years, but not now. Any advice? Lu

[Mona Miller]

Could be the milkweed tussock moth in its early stages:
http://bugguide.net/node/view/64606/bgimage

http://bugguide.net/node/view/433/bgimage
Here are some pictures of the moths and their later stages

They defoliate my milkweed, so I drop the little buggers into soapy dish water.