Hungry Caterpillars

If you hike outside this weekend be on the lookout for all the hungry caterpillars.

Besides finding monarch caterpillars munching on milkweed plants, you just might find a Buckeye caterpillar munching on just about anything. 

Buckeye caterpillars are all dressed up for an early Halloween in black and orange with a little bit of white thrown in. Buckeyes, both butterflies and larva, seem to be particularly abundant this year, so you are bound to see them when you get out on this gorgeous holiday weekend.  

Buckeye Butterfly

Buckeyes seem particularly numerous this year.

Buckeyes don't winter well in the north so they migrate just like monarchs. They aren't picky about host plants; figwort, plantain, stonecrop, and vervain are a few plants they lay eggs on.

I had one little guy hanging onto my fishing arm the other day. I don't know exactly why he liked my arm so well but he held on even as I casted my line out. He did bring me luck, making him the best kind of fishing buddy.