As if the revealing of the Alpacas and the running of the Pumpkin Patch Express weren’t enough excitement for one day, guess what else made an appearance here at the Museum today?

That’s right, it’s a Smartweed Caterpillar (Acronicta oblinita). This is one of only two caterpillars, or any other creature, that I’ve seen actually eating smartweed. The other caterpillar is a Tobacco Budworm (Heliothis virescens) which, as the name suggests, eats the buds and flowers of the plant. Both of these caterpillars also eat other plants but not many caterpillars pick smartweed as their food of choice, or even as an alternate food source.

Stop by and see what other surprises await you at the Museum. If you’re not finding much, grab ahold of me, I may have something already staked out.