Late night, I was harvesting Vernonia noveboracensis from my east Timothy field when I came across a large patch of Asclepias syriaca. It was being eaten. The monarch caterpillars came in many sizes

but there were many more hairy grey caterpillars having a nice dinner. I tried to ID the grey caterpillar using www.discoverlife.org to some confusion. For me www.inaturalist.org gave a much clearer confirmation of my find.

What really completed the loop was coming upon an almost completely defoliated patch of Apocynum cannabinum.

There were a couple grey caterpillars still licking their mouthparts.

Now I dont have to remove the dogbane from the hay field and I have become acquainted with a locally successful moth.

The monarchs are also numerous. Very nice to see them among the pollinators busy drinking nectar in my fields most of the day.