Woolly Bear AKA Isabella Tiger Moth Caterpillar

Late last summer I met this Woolly Bear caterpillar (the larval form of the Isabella Tiger Moth). 

At least I'm pretty sure it's a Woolly Bear; usually they have an obvious amount of black "wool". I think in the upper right there's a small spot of black, but this is far less than what's typical. My understanding is that these caterpillars are never all black but can (rarely) be all brown.

There is the notion that the browner these caterpillars are, the warmer the winter will be. If that were true then we're going to have the mildest winter of my lifetime. (If you're from Buffalo and want to dispute this: 1) This caterpillar was in central NJ, and thus might not be a good predictor for other parts of the country, and 2) Do you really think you should be arguing with a caterpillar?)

There are other ways of forecasting weather with these caterpillars: 1) A woollier coat suggests a colder winter, and 2) A caterpillar crawling in a southerly direction does so to get further south prior to a colder winter.

September 1, 2022 at Duke Island Park
Photo 238907347, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)


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