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Large green caterpillar with black and white horizontal stripe (Swallowtail caterpillar)

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Swallowtail caterpillar
by: Moni

Stephanie and Dallin,
The caterpillar Dallin found was a swallowtail butterfly caterpillar. There are several swallowtails that have caterpillars that look like it. Because of where you live and that it was feeding on ash it is probably the two-tailed swallowtail but could be the western tiger swallowtail, the eastern tiger swallowtail or the Pale tiger swallowtail.
Each of these caterpillars feed on various tree foliage but ash is actually listed for the two-tailed. The caterpillars look like bird droppings in the early stages then change to the green caterpillar like yours, then when the caterpillar is full grown and getting ready to pupate it turns brown.
Here is a website about the eastern tiger swallowtail that if you scroll down to "See Also" there are links to the others that look similar - http://bugguide.net/node/view/491

Here are photos of the two-tailed butterfly and larvae at different stages - http://bugguide.net/node/view/23914/bgimage

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