Wooly Bear Caterpillar
The Folklore Revolving Around The Wooly Bear Caterpillar
The wooly bear caterpillar is the larval stage of the Isabella Tiger Moth, though there are several variations of bear caterpillars to be seen. The yellow bear caterpillar and the red bear caterpillar are just a couple, and all of them tend toward the same behaviors and general build. What looks, from a distance, like a chubby body completely covered in long, soft fuzz is really a collection of hairy shoots protruding from bumps on a soft, shiny surface. Upon close examination, you can see the small gatherings of setae, and these will differ in color depending on the age of the wooly bear caterpillar.
The myth revolving around this little guy is that he can hold off or end winter, and this is an unfounded but fun little story. If you see a wooly bear caterpillar during the early spring, it simply means that he has wakened from his over wintering hibernation just in time for the new fresh shoots of his favorite foods. He makes his own antifreeze, and does over winter in a chrysalis as many other species do. He’s out there on his own, usually coiled with his head tucked into the center of his body. When he wakes up, it is time to resume the duty of eating. This is his only call to action, and he does it quite well.
You may have seen a wooly bear caterpillar, or even a group of them, crossing the paved or gravel streets in your neighborhood. This migration is a bit of a wonder, as you watch this tiny, fuzzy little guy attempting to cross this expansion of road. One theory is that this area of the ground is warmer than the rest of the early spring earth floor is, and that they benefit from absorbing this heat through their under bodies. At ant rate, the wooly bear caterpillar is always searching for the greener grass, and you are bound to run across one eventually due to their gypsy ways.
The wooly bear caterpillar changes color as he ages, as mentioned earlier in this piece. He gains more brown with each passing year, usually beginning at his upper midsection and growing at an even rate toward his front and rear. In some very special cases, this little guy has demonstrated saddle patterns and bands, and this is quite a sight to see. The general consensus, however, is that the more brown the wooly bear caterpillar adorns the older he is. After one and a half summers, it will time for him to evolve into pupae and then adult Isabella Tiger Moth. Enjoy his presence, should you be lucky enough to be graced with it.