Isabella Tiger Moth
All about the Isabella Tiger Moth
It is no surprise that many children refer to this creature by the cute name of “wooly bear”, the caterpillar of the Isabella Tiger moth wear a thick fuzzy coat of black and red bristles.
A North American moth, the Isabella Tiger moth begins life in the springtime as just one of many eggs in a cluster that may be found on a variety of host plants. As the eggs hatch, the leaves upon which they emerge and any others become food for the ravenous little caterpillar. Grasses and weeds are favorite meals for the furry creature, which will munch its way through spring, summer and early fall. It is in the autumn that most people take notice of the Isabella Tiger moth larvae, which can be found inching along in its search for a place to shelter over the winter.
Many believe that this little caterpillar is actually a predictor of winter weather by the size of the band of reddish orange that encircles its midsection. Scientists say that the band size is indicative of how much the caterpillar has grown over the season. While it may be simple folklore to believe that a thick dark section means a mild winter while a thin one means a harsh winter, it is a widespread notion that people seem to enjoy.
With the freezing temperatures of the winter season, the Isabella Tiger moth caterpillar goes into hibernation. Their bodies are capable of being fully frozen and then revived by the return of warm weather. Many children and adults alike have amused themselves by carefully capturing the wooly bear and keeping it in a jar over the winter in a dark, cold room. Bringing the jar out into the warmth of the spring stimulates the caterpillar, which will begin to feed once again the same as in the wild.
As the warm spring temperatures encourage green growth on leaves and plants, the caterpillar of the Isabella Tiger moth begins to feed. As it grows, it reaches a point of satiation and will encase itself in a cocoon. Around the end of May, the adult Isabella Tiger moth emerges from the cocoon. It will appear rather drab in color; a mixture of gray and yellow with black dots on the wings themselves as well as a series of dots running down the center and sides of the moth’s body. Nocturnal in nature, the moths will fly off in the darkness to find nourishment and to mate.
Few other species have as much recognition with humans as the Isabella Tiger moth caterpillar has. Well loved by both children and adults, this moth enjoys great celebrity status while a wooly bear; even if it is not able to foretell the weather.