Speed Dating

When we were kids, there were several "natural world" indicators for the arrival of Fall: shorter, cooler days, yellow and red leaves on the ground, big orange pumpkins for sale, and we started to find Woolly Bear caterpillars marching along on the ground! It was great fun to pick up these little guys and watch them curl up in our hands; and of course it was more fun to drop them down each other's shirts.

Heading west at Jackson Bottom Wetlands - Oct. 13, 2014

Back then, little did I know that this "Halloween" caterpillar was really an Isabella Tiger Moth (Pyrrharctia isabella). When we found the caterpillars roaming around, they were probably looking for some nice green leaves to eat. It feeds on a wide variety of herbs and forbes during fall and then lies dormant through winter. In our area, it only takes one winter for it to emerge as the Isabella moth in the spring. But in colder, shorter growth areas to the north, it can take multiple winters!

The one in these photos was about 1.5 inches long and moved along at a good clip - probably hoping to avoid the many birds in the wetlands!

Front view - note the head, looking at the camera.

Once the moth emerges in spring, it has only a few days to find a mate before it dies. Assuming of course it does not get eaten or smashed by a vehicle. It's a short, rough, dating life for these Isabellas!

Isabella Moth (Wikipedia)

According to legend (or perhaps it's the Farmer's Almanac), the stripes on the Woolly Bear predict the type of winter we will have - the wider the orange stripe, the milder the winter. Kind of reminds me of the Groundhog day legend! Not surprisingly, the stripes have more to do with what the caterpillar eats and how much. See the Folklore link below.

And just as that notorious rodent from Punxsutawney, PA gets his own media day, there are several Woolly Bear festivals held throughout the U.S. in the fall. One features costumes and races... and I'm sure there must be a beer garden in there somewhere!

In some areas of the country, the Woolly Bear is called the Woolly Worm, which kind of makes more sense to me....  If you happen to be near Beattyville, Kentucky in late October, you can stop in for the annual Woolly Worm Festival, a three day event featuring music, a car show, and lots of food!

Closeup with blooming Pearlwort. 

As you can imagine, the Woolly Bear has made an impact with authors, poets, and children. There are poems, songs, and books devoted to this curious little insect. It could be my own view, but it seems there are fewer of these caterpillars around now, but I could be looking in the wrong places. In any event, here's hoping you will see some of these hairy guys this year!

Woolly Bear Folklore