O.o? Are you blind, or something, OP? I'm not intending this as an insult, but a legitimate question, I mean, how can you miss a caterpillar on anything?

Today, I was sitting on a piece of lettuce minding my own business when......

I tried to grow a garden the last two summers. Its alot of work to keep the damn vermin away from eating it all. From bugs to animals. I had a rabbit I assume get under the fence and take a bite out of every strawberry and cherry tomato, leaving the rest of the half eaten fruit on the vine. Birds, caterpillars, and everything flock to my yard. So the garden is covered in a fortress of nets, and a 7ft fence now.

Hahaha you'll never trust your garden again.

I feel worse for the caterpillar

Well atleast you've learnt your lesson about washing produce before you eat it. Next time separate the leaves you'll be eating from the head and wash thoroughly before eating or using in a salad.

I once found a little frog in a lettuce as I was washing it

Go green, but maybe not as literally as you :) well, who needs chicken as proteine when you can have The hungry caterpillar XD

Ewwwww bad OP. This is why we wash our fruits and veggies.

I think I might throw up...