We’ve posted before about that caterpillar that we all see crossing our paths at this time of year–the banded woolly bear, or the larval stage of the tiger moth. There are more than 260 different species of tiger moths in North America, but the most common is the Isabella tiger moth (Pyrrharctia isabella, pictured). Contrary to popular folklore, woolly bears may not be great predictors of the severity of the coming winter–but there are a lot of amazing things about them nonetheless!
*The genus name Pyrrharctia derives from “pyrrh” –fire (represented by the fiery orange band around the midsection) and “arctia”--ice (referencing the caterpillar’s ability to survive sub-freezing temps by manufacturing its own antifreeze compounds).
*It may look cuddly, but those fuzzy hairs (setae) are actually pretty spiky (though harmless to all but the most sensitive of skin).
*These caterpillars feed on common lawn ‘weeds’ such as dandelions, clover, plantain and violets. No diversity in your turf? No woolly bears.
* Why did the woolly bear cross the road? To find a winter blanket! They pass the winter under the shelter of a rock, bark, or leaf litter–another good reason to ‘leave the leaves’ in your landscape.
*In spring, the larvae feed briefly before spinning a silky cocoon and transforming into a beautiful Isabella tiger moth.
So if you’d like to be a friend of the woolly bear, provide plenty of their preferred food and shelter in your landscape–and leave the forecasting to the climatologists!
Photo: Wayne Longbottom
*The genus name Pyrrharctia derives from “pyrrh” –fire (represented by the fiery orange band around the midsection) and “arctia”--ice (referencing the caterpillar’s ability to survive sub-freezing temps by manufacturing its own antifreeze compounds).
*It may look cuddly, but those fuzzy hairs (setae) are actually pretty spiky (though harmless to all but the most sensitive of skin).
*These caterpillars feed on common lawn ‘weeds’ such as dandelions, clover, plantain and violets. No diversity in your turf? No woolly bears.
* Why did the woolly bear cross the road? To find a winter blanket! They pass the winter under the shelter of a rock, bark, or leaf litter–another good reason to ‘leave the leaves’ in your landscape.
*In spring, the larvae feed briefly before spinning a silky cocoon and transforming into a beautiful Isabella tiger moth.
So if you’d like to be a friend of the woolly bear, provide plenty of their preferred food and shelter in your landscape–and leave the forecasting to the climatologists!
Photo: Wayne Longbottom
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