A Little Bit More
Late Summer and early fall are especially active times for woolly bears and this is the time you're most likely to see them. Although this caterpillar is very widespread, few people are acquainted with the adult stage. The Banded Woolly Bear caterpillar (the weather forecaster) is the immature stage of the Isabella Moth, Isia Isabella.
Woolly bear caterpillars are afforded considerable protection from predation by their dense tufts of hair. Although most birds are entirely discouraged from eating these caterpillars, skunks, for one, are known to roll them around on the ground to remove their hairs before eating them.
Some research has been performed on this animal to see if the supposed ability to foretell winter weather is true. Studies showed that individuals from the same area varied greatly in the proportion of black to orange; no trend was discovered that could be used to foretell weather. Although the notion of its forecasting ability does not make good biological sense, this sort of story dies hard and some people still insist on its validity.
Probably, the public is most familiar with woolly bears when they see them crossing roads each fall. As fall approaches, the fully grown woolly bear caterpillars search out sheltered places to spend the winter. Their forays often take them across the streets and highways that crisscross their environment and all of a sudden, people take notice of this interesting animal.
Activities
Folk Wisdom
Objectives: Learn about folk tales from various sources
Materials: none
Our culture is full of information that has been handed down from past generations. Many of the folk tales or folk wisdom that are shared from parent to child have truth in them but others are completely without merit. Here is an opportunity for students to share and examine some of these "bits of wisdom" with fellow students. If you are fortunate enough to have a variety of cultures represented in your school population, the feedback should be especially rich.
Have students go home to their care-givers and tell them about the folk tale of the Woolly Bear caterpillar's ability to predict the severity of an upcoming winter. Be sure also that they discuss the fact that scientific research has not found this tale to be accurate. Now, have each student ask their care-giver if they can tell them a folk tale they know from their own past, whether true or not. Each student should write this tale down, and bring in to class to share.
Have the students share their different tales in class and then discuss whether or not they believe the tale is true or not - there may be a lot of disagreement. It might be useful to take one of the folk tales that has elicited a lot of discussion as a class project to see if the students can determine whether or not it is true by doing a bit of research on the topic.
Some examples of folk tales/wisdom that have been handed down through the years:
- Chicken soup is good for colds
- Red flannel wrapped around the throat helps cure a sore throat
- Snakes won't die until after sunset
- Snakes hypnotize their prey by staring at them
- If a groundhog sees his shadow on Feb 2, there will be 6 more weeks of winter
- If you touch a bird's nest, the parents won't return to the nest.
Key Concepts
Life Cycles, Identification
Questions
Do you have a question for a naturalist? Go ahead and ask!
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Posted by Connie St. Clair on September 06, 2006 at 05:20 PM
Q: When I was about 14 in San Antonio TX I felt a very sharp pain in my arm. I looked down to see a jet black woolly bear caterpillar. I then ofcourse, by human instinct, knocked it off my arm. The pain increased from the end of my arm up to my armpit. I told my mother that it was quite a terrible pain I was feeling. She didn't believe me until a few minutes later she too was bitten or whatever. Which leads me into my questions. Do any Woolly Bear Caterpillars bite or are their tufts of hair pain causing? It has been almost 20 yrs. since this happened and I have yet to find an answer. I thank you in advance for your time and so does my mother.
A: Oh my, 20 years ago - I think I have your answer!
You were NOT imagining things when you noted pain on your arm around the Woolly Bear. Woolly Bear Caterpillars have lots of sharp hairs on their bodies that protect them from predators. If a predator gets a Woolly Bear in its mouth, the hairs detach and stick in the mouth lining causing intense discomfort. You must have brushed the caterpillar with your arm and got some of its hairs in your skin. You're probably more sensitive to those hairs than many people and so you reacted to this "invasion" more than someone else might. I know I've handled Woolly Bears and never had any problems but I've also not rubbed them against the tender skin on the lower part of my forearm either. Hope I've cleaerd up your "mystery". Thanks for sharing.
Posted by Suzanne Chenvert on July 13, 2006 at 03:14 PM
Q: We found a caterpillar with fuzzy egg shaped things on it's back, long thin black points sticking out, and an antennae on its bottom.
What caterpillar is this?
A: Thanks so much for the photo - that did it for me! Your animal is a White-marked Tussock Moth. Although the adults are not at all colorful nor very "interesting" looking, the larvae (caterpillars) certainly are. These caterpillars are reasonably common on trees and if in large enough numbers can do some damage. Although you might have thought at first that there are some parasitic wasp eggs on its back, this is normal for your animal. Hope this helps. If you want some pictures of this animal, you can google it or you may even want to order a field guide to insects from the Peterson Institute and learn more about insects in your area.
Thanks for asking and sharing.
Posted by lisa miller on May 01, 2006 at 06:16 PM
Q: need species of black hairy or wolly caterpillar (I have a pic) wiht red knobsor balls at the base of the black hair. dont knwo if its a moth or butterfly. my 3 year old found it and we want top take it to his preschool classroom and dont knwo what to feet it (what plants)
A:
Oh my, this was difficult! I have a possible family that your caterpillar belongs in but I can't be sure. Thanks for the photo, that really helped. From what I can figure out, it seems your caterpillar may be a member of the Arctiidae family that includes the Tiger and Footman Moths. These are small to medium-sized moths that are mostly nocturnal. The well known woollybear caterpillars are members of this group and I would imagine your animal is closely related. Sorry I can't be more specific. See if you can google this group of moths and see if you can find a picture of a larva that matches yours.
Feeding your animal may be a problem. Look around near where you found it and see if one of those plants will suit - you'll need to try several probably. Rather than pulling leaves from the plants, I'd cut a branch so the caterpillar can crawl around normally rather than on a flat surface. If it "likes" one, it should begin feeding very quickly. Best of luck to you.
Posted by Barb York on April 14, 2006 at 08:54 AM
Q: Have to love those Woolly Bears. I loved them as a child and still marvel as a 40 year old ! My question is, it's mid April in CT. The Woollys are active in my back yard - I assume looking for a place to build a cocoon. Where is the BEST place to move the little guy so he can build his cocoon ???
A: They'll find some location under a board, under leaves, or in a crevice somewhere to pupate. They don't need much shelter but do seem to prefer a hidden location. See if you locate a nook or cranny where your little guy can go. Of course, it will have "ideas" of its own and may simply crawl away from where you place it. Good luck with Woolly Bear.
Posted by Michele Chartier on March 11, 2006 at 03:06 PM
Q: I had a wooly bear through winter I kept it in a closet with some grass and some water occasionallly it was fine but then it lost alot of weight and slowly started to coccoon but then it just apperad dead and its not moving at all and there is no cocoon I wanted to know what to do I think its dead or possibly in a pupae stage without a coccon is this possible.or can you tell me what went wrong .
A: I can't be sure Michele, but I'll bet it was the fact that it was kept in a warm environment that has affected your Woolly Bear. Sounds to me as though your caterpillar is dead. It should be in a cocoon if it were progressing normally. By keeping it in a warmer-than-normal environment, the caterpillar was receiving two different messages. One said, "it's winter and you need to hibernate" and the other said " it's warm so your body needs to keep burning lots of calories". Your little guy probably simply ran out of stored food (fat) and starved to death. If you want to try doing this again next year, be sure to "think like an animal". In other words, since a normal Woolly Bear would be in the cold all winter, be sure to keep your animal in cold place to overwinter - not in the house. You can keep an eye on your guy from time to time and once spring arrives, it will make a cocoon. Once again, allow it to remain outside where it is cooler than your house until it emerges into an adult moth. Thanks for writing and I hope this helps.
Posted by Jessica Burrows on February 01, 2006 at 05:17 PM
Q: I found a wooly bear this fall and we have kept him in a jar with air vents in the top. I didn't realize I should keep him cold and he is a moth already. What should I do with him or how can I care for him untill spring?
A: You've had an opportunity to see an interesting process few others have ever experienced. However, as you point out, by keeping your caterpillar/pupa warm, it has metamorphosed too early into its adult form, the Isabella Moth. To the best of my knowledge, the adults do not feed but mate and lay eggs for the next generation of woolly bears. My recommendation would be to keep your moth on the cool side and see if it won't live a longer time. If your moth does make it to spring, you can release it then. Sorry I can't be of more help. Next time you'll know what to do. Thanks for asking.
Posted by lin korpinska on December 28, 2005 at 04:03 PM
Q: Hello, I have been researching wooly bears for a while, as I am currently taking care of one. However, I have one problem that seems to contridict what I have read, and wonder if I am doing something wrong. At a Christmas tree farm this December I found a wooly bear lying in the snow, so grabbed him up and brought him home. The temperature outside must have been approx. 20¬?F at night when we found him. Not wanting to change his environment, we put him in the refrigerator which is set to around the same temperature. I would think that by know he would have become completely dormant, but each time I check on him he has crawled to a different spot (i.e. he is in a cup with a little bit of curned up paper towel to hide in) Should I feed him or give him moisture? Is it okay that he is still crawling around? I have had him almost for a month. I hope he will make it to spring. What is in optimal spot to put him in the spring? Near clovers in the grass? In a tree?
A: You're going to know more about Woolly Bears than almost anyone else by next spring - I applaud your interest in this animal. I received your second question too and think your caterpillar is probably alright even though not crawling around. As with any animal or plant, if you think in terms of "what this animal would be doing in a natural environment", it will make decisions on care both easier and more accurate.
To begin with, your caterpillar is not interested in food anymore. Woolly Bears feed all summer but in the fall find a location in which they can be dormant until spring while they live off of the fat in their bodies. In the spring, they change into the pupal phase (a cocoon-like structure) and then emerge as an adult moth some time later. So, no food for your bear! I haven't tried to care for a Woolly Bear myself, but keeping it in the refrigerator might work for a while, but I wonder if it isn't too warm for the entire winter! You mentioned finding your guy in the snow when days were in the 20's. Freezing temperatures shouldn't be a problem - all of those other Woolly Bears are outside right now. I think I'd place your guy in a container that he can't escape from that allows good air flow and then place him in an unheated garage. Be sure no mice can get to him or they may eat him. The garage temp will vary over the winter and at times even be below freezing but this will approximate his dormancy in the wild. Keep an eye on him and in the early spring, watch him a bit more closely. At some point, he should pupate and then he'll develop into a moth but I don't know how many days this will take. I would be careful about one other variable though. Daylength may be an important part of your guy's dormancy and may "tell" him when to pupate. In other words, as days lengthen, something in his body may tell him, now is the time to move into another phase of life. If this is the case, your bear will need access to daylight in his container - don't keep him in darkness.
I've given you a lot of information but can't tell you for sure since few people have ever tried this. But as I said earlier, this should give you a real understanding for these interesting animals. Keep in mind too that your animal may not live - in nature, many don't make it for one reason or another. My very best to you and I'd love to hear how this works out. Feel free to write to me again if you have more questions and I'll do my best.
Posted by kelly Stilwell on December 04, 2005 at 04:46 PM
Q: We have 4 Woolly Bears and 2 of them look like they have a white substance(looks like mold to me) on their undersides. They are not hard to the touch, so I don't think they are dead. We have tried to keep Woolly Bears through the winter with no success, but found these so late in the year we thught they wouldn't survive so why not try. So my questions are:
1. Could the white be a cocoon-or do you think they are dead?
2. Should we feed one if it is suddenly moving around after 2 weeks of "sleeping"?
3.Can they survive outside if we find them around Thanksgiving or later? Should we leave them alone? Thanks so much.
Woolly Lovers in MD
A: Whenever I have a question about caring for an animal (or plant for that matter) I try to imagine or do some research about how that animal would survive in nature - what would it eat, how would it survive winter, how might it provide for its young etc. By doing this, I can then apply that information to the care of a given animal in captivity. If you do this too with your Woolly Bear caterpillars, you should be able to come up with some answers to your questions.
Woolly Bear caterpillars feed during the summer and then as fall approaches, they find a sheltered location in which to overwinter. The Woolly Bears people see crawling across the road are looking for a safe place to hibernate. Once they locate a sheltered place, they remain dormant all winter long - they do not eat or even move. When spring arrives and temperatures are warm enough, they break dormancy and change into their pupal form (they build a little cocoon out of their own body hairs) and then emerge as an Isabella Moth, mate and lay eggs for the new generation. So now, let's look at your questions.
1. The white material isn't a cocoon (remember they don't pupate until spring) and their inactivity probably means they are in their dormant phase. Your observation that the white material may be a mold (fungus) is an interesting one. Insects can and do get fungal growths on them. If you can, try to remove as much of the "white stuff" as you can without hurting the caterpillars - be really gentle. I'm guessing if your caterpillars were cold (at outside temps) the fungus wouldn't have gotten started on their bodies. You didn't say so but I'm guessing that your animals are in a warm house now!
2. There is no point in even trying to feed your caterpillars. Your animals are dormant (or should be) so they won't eat anymore.
3. Back to the "what would a caterpillar do in nature" question. Sure they can survive outside - that's where they've lived for countless centuries. In fact, your caterpillars NEED to be in a cold environment to survive. I do have a suggestion about their care. If you have an unheated garage, you should be able to place the animals in a carboard box and leave them in the garage over winter. In the spring, once temp rises for a long enough period, if all goes normally, they'll make their cocoons. At this point you can bring them into the house and then watch to see when they emerge and then release them into the wild
Hope I've helped a bit. Thanks for your well-thoughtout questions.
Posted by Erica Diaz on November 27, 2005 at 04:09 PM
Q: Where (in what specific habitat) does the wooly bear spend its winter and in what stage of its life cycle does it
spend the winter?
A: Woolly Bears are the immature form (caterpillar) of the Isabella Moth. Woolly Bears are often found near fields where they feed on Plantain and other related plants. The Woolly Bear hibernates over winter in the larval (caterpillar) stage, then pupates in the spring before emerging as an adult moth.
Thanks for asking.
Posted by tanner leeman on October 24, 2005 at 10:04 PM
Q: How can I hand-train my woolly bear caterpillar???
A: It's highly unlikely that you can train your Woolly Bear to accept your touch without curling. For an animal to get used to being petted - like a cat or dog or even a snake - most soon realize that they aren't going to be hurt and accept this kind of touching without flinching or trying to get away. But your caterpillar doesn't have the mental ability to "understand" that you aren't going to hurt it so it automatically curls each time you touch it. If you did this often enough, and I mean a LOT, it might stop curling but only because it was too tired to curl anymore.
Your Woolly Bear needs to overwinter in some cool/cold place so you may want to allow it to find a sheltered place outdoors. In the spring it will emerge as a moth. Hope this helps. Thanks for asking.
Posted by Mark Hodie on October 24, 2005 at 02:47 AM
Q: Hi,
Tonight (Oct. 23), I found a very tiny (3/4 of an inch) caterpillar on my pant leg after walking my dog in a forest preserve.
It is a light olive green with a yellow stipe along each side.
It is about 40 degrees out and raining so I brought it inside.
I know this is a very weird question, but where should I put it?
Outside in the grass?, in a tree?, in an Evergreen tree?, somewhere else? Should I keep it inside for the winter to help it survive? If so, what kind of container or house plant? And should I offer it some type of "food"? I'm just a big animal lover and the little thing is so cute I want to help it by putting in the right place. I live in NW Indiana so winter is very close.
Thank you for your help.
A: I certainly appreciate your attitude toward wildlife. Many people are considerate of birds and mammals, but as one goes down the taxonomic "scale" and gets to the invertebrates, respect levels often suffer.
Probably the worst thing you can do is bring the caterpillar into your home for the fall/winter. I can't tell you what species of insect this is but it most certainly needs to develop normally outside with the onset of colder temperatures and winter. Your caterpillar may spend the winter as a caterpillar, it may spend it as a pupa, or it may even spend it as an adult (this last one is not very likely at this point though). So...your best move is to take it back outside. Since you don't know exactly what the animal was living on, I'd release it in a grassy/shrubby area where there is plenty of shelter and where it's not likely to be disturbed . In all probability, it isn't feeding anymore so it will probably find a sheltered location and stay there for the winter and then emerge in the spring as an adult. Thanks for asking and I trust your "caterpillar-release program" will go well.
Posted by Marcy L. Hagarman on October 07, 2005 at 07:35 PM
Q: Found a lime green caterpiller eating my tomatoe plant. it had six legs close together near its head, then the remaining legs back along the "body". It has an orange/red hook at its rump. Each segment (the back legs are on)has a white and black stripe. The stripe travels from the bottom front of the segment then diagnal up to its back.
Where the stripe starts, there is also a circular white marking, resembling an eye with a black center. These "eye" markings are the size of a large pin head. The overall size of the beauty is about 1.5 to 2 inches. It is fat like a finger.
A: Your description is PHENOMENAL! Are you a biologist or just a very observant person? Very, very helpful. You've got a tomato hornworm! This is the caterpillar of one of the Sphinx Moths. There are about 100 different species of these moths in North America so I'm not sure exactly which one it is but I do have a picture of one for you to compare at www.oznet.ksu.edu
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Although many people think the horn at the end of the caterpillar is poisonous, this is not true - they are totally harmless. Once this animal is finished growing, it will leave your tomato plant and burrow into the soil. Since this is late in the year, it will remain in the soil and emerge as an adult Sphinx Moth in the spring and begin the cycle anew. There are usually two cycles each season (spring adults produce young that produce late summer young such as yours). If you don't mind losing some of your tomato leaves, it should be fun to watch your visitor grow. The adults are rather large moths that have a long tongue making it possible for them to access nectar from tubular flowers and pollinate them at the same time. Thanks so much for your question.
Posted by nic petrykowski on September 02, 2005 at 11:32 AM
Q: Hi I found a caterpiller that is light green and brown that has two tails on its backside.
A: I'm a bit confused about the "two tails on its backside". There are some caterpillars with a single horn-like projection on their tail ends but I don't know one that has two.
The swallowtail family (Papillionidae) does have an assortment of caterpillars that have two horn-like projections they can raise when alarmed but these are near the head. These are glands that produce a smelly odor and help keep predators away. Take a look at this website and see if it resembles your animal. Thanks for your question and I hope this helps with your identification.
Posted by jeanie sepin on August 02, 2005 at 06:30 PM
Q: Last month here in the foothills of Southern California, (Alpine), I
noticed many hollow carcasses of
woolly caterpillar. They were all
black, so I don't think they are the one's mentioned here, but I
have no idea where to ask the
question and just stumbled upon
this site. Can the mite that has
devastated local bees effect them?
A: Interesting question. Here in the East, we have a real problem with Gypsy Moths. About every 7 years or so, their population peaks and they do lots of damage to our trees. At about that same time though, there is a peak of a deadly bacterium that hits the caterpillars causing them to die in huge numbers. So, your Woolly Bear caterpillar senario makes me think that they too have been hit with a bacterium - not the same though. Often these infections are cyclic and you don't notice anything for years and then it's quite obvious.
This is only an "educated guess" so don't quote me. Thanks for asking and let me know if you learn otherwise on the caterpillars.
Posted by Sarah on May 02, 2005 at 05:59 PM
Q: We have a robin's nest by our porch light. The maintenance people took it down and set it on a bush. I put it back where it originally was by the light. Will the robin's abandon the nest because of the human scent? The eggs have been without the mother for about an hour.
A: Well done! You did exactly the right thing. No, the birds will NOT smell your scent and abandon the nest. Actually, with only a few exceptions, birds do not have a good sense of smell. They will probably go right back to feeding their young as if nothing has happened. Having the babies go an hour without food shouldn't be a problem.
Posted by Shanon on December 09, 2002 at 01:30 PM
Q: my students found a woolly bear caterpillar inside the classroom crawling around. it's the 1st week of Dec. I thought it should be hibernating right now.? They would love to keep and rear the caterpillar into a moth. Is this possible for us to do? If so what should we do? and what should we feed it until it decides to hibernate. Thanks, Shanon
A: The woolly bear your students found will probably pupate in the spring and it would be great if you could keep track of it until then. Woolly bears reportedly eat a variety of plants including asters, birches, clover, corn, elms, maples, and sunflowers. Clover, at least, could be gathered fresh enough even beneath the snow, so I would try that. To encourage the caterpillar to "hibernate" over winter I suggest you put it in a dark, cool place protected from the weather, such as an unheated basement. Whether you attempt to feed the woolly bear through the winter or encourage it to "hibernate," it should be a good opportunity for your students to learn about these common and interesting animals.