![]() So the width of the banding is more determined by the current or past year's growth than it is a harbinger of the severity of the upcoming winter. The longer the larva has been feeding and the bigger it grows determines how large the orange band will grow. However, in reality the amount of black on the caterpillar is determined by its age and size, not temperature. These folk tales can be fun to use as we predict what kind of winter it will be. If they are traveling north then winter will be mild, but if they are heading south then winter will be harsh. Still others believe traveling direction is the predictor. Thick hair means a bad winter and sparse hairs predict a mild one. Others believe that the thickness of the hairs is the predictor. Orange segments predict mild weeks and black ones tell us that bad weather will prevail. There are even those who believe that that each segment on the body (usually 13) represents one week of winter. ![]() Legend says that the more black on a banded woollly worm, the more severe the winter will be. So is it true that the woolly bear caterpillar can predict the weather? Folklore has led us to believe that they can, but what does science say? The typical banded woolly worm has sections of black hairs at each end and a section of orange-brown hairs in the middle. In 2 to 3 weeks the adult tiger moths emerge from the cocoons and begin the life cycle anew. They feed for a brief period and then fashing a cocoon out of silk and body hairs. Then once the warm weather of spring arrives they become active again. as they leave their food source to try to find a place to call home for winter. We see them on roads, crosswalks, driveways, etc. Then towards autumn they start to search for a place to overwinter. As they feed they become larger and mature into the full-sized bristly caterpillar that we are used to seeing. They can be found inching around all summer, but are so small at this time that we don't even notice them. The little caterpillars then feed on a wide variety of grass and weeds (dandelions, clovers, corn, sunflowers, nettles, and leaves of various trees). In the summer months, the adult moth lays eggs that hatch into little caterpillars. The wings have black spots on them and when at rest are held roof-like over the body. The moth has a broad range throughout North America and is medium-sized with a dull yellow to tan color, tiny head, and furry little body. It is a caterpillar larval stage of the Isabella tiger moth ( Pyrrharctia isabella). So just where are they going? The woolly worm, sometimes called the "woolly bear", is actually not worm at all. It seems like with each step you see one of these little guys moving across the road like a locomotive. If you ever go on a walk in the evenings just look at the road. ![]() You know, the dark-colored fuzzy caterpillars (or in some cases white) that begin to appear and are in a big hurry to go somewhere. One thing that I can't help but notice each year at this time is the activity of the woolly worms. Warm days with cool nights.this is what I have been waiting for all summer long!! There is nothing like the crispness of a cool autumn morning!! Soon the leaves on the trees will begin to change and the sounds of harvest will begin.
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