The nursery at the Holden Arboretum takes care of a great number of species.  One polyhouse alone currently contains between 300 and 400 species and cultivars. Among all these plants, a great many are native to Ohio, and the rest often offer benefits to butterflies and moths, such as nectar. During the growing season, I try to keep track of the pollinators and other insects that flit in and out of the polyhouses, container area, and lath house. Listed below is a sampling of caterpillars found here in 2022.  I selected these six caterpillars in particular as they highlight some of the ways that caterpillars defend themselves from predators, and are less commonly-known than, say, the monarch caterpillar.