By Tara Wasserman Muhlenberg College Class of 2015
As you stroll across
town on a cool fall night you may come across a black and rust colored blob
that resembles a giant piece of lint. You may feel an overwhelming urge to pick
it up and cuddle it close to your face as you cradle it and whisper sweet
nothings to it. You may also want to name it your “sweet woolybear” which would
actually be an accurate name as it is known as the Woolybear
Caterpillar, or Pyrrharctia
isabella.
As cuddly as our little
friend appears, I wouldn’t recommend hugging it as you would with any other
furry pet at home. These caterpillars aren’t wooly at all; rather, they are
covered with short, stiff bristles of hair which may feel prickly and
uncomfortable to the touch.
The caterpillars color may appear black and rusty
red, but can change as it molts, becoming less black and more red
with age. The caterpillar has bands of these colors across its body. After
reaching adulthood, the moths can have orange-yellow, yellow-brown or cream
colored wings and will be marked with faint brown spots. The hindwing usually
is paler with females appearing a pink orange color. Adult moths are often
referred to as the “Tiger Moth” due to their color
resembling that of a tiger.
The bands of the
caterpillar usually consist of black and red segments which have actually been said
to forecast winter weather in ancient
folklore. The legend states that the wider the middle red
section is, the milder the coming winter will be. Thus, if the band is narrow,
then the coming winter will be harsh! The Woolybear caterpillar has 13 red and
black segments, which are said to correspond to the 13 weeks of winter.
If your internet is
down and you’ve been seeking weather predictions, don’t worry; you can find a
climate-predicting wooly bear anywhere from northern Mexico to the United
States and as far as the southern third of Canada! To further help your search,
you should know that the caterpillars hatch during warm weather from eggs laid
by female moths. They will search for overwintering sites under bark or inside
cavities of rocks or logs. During spring, they form cocoons and transform into
adult moths.
Between 1948 and 1956,
Dr. Curran tested this weather theory and his evidence was consistent with the
prediction. Although his data supported his hypothesis, Curran was not
convinced, as his sample size was small. With popularized experiments, Curran
and his wife created a group called “The Original Society of the Friends of the
Wooly Bear”, which stuck around until further research proved this myth wrong!
If you’re sick of the
inaccurate predictions of Punxsutawney Phil the Groundhog, then this year you
should travel to Banner Elk, North Carolina which holds an annual “Wooly Worm Festival”
each October. The event is highlighted by a caterpillar
race
where the retired mayor inspects the champion wooly bear and announces his
winter forecast. Anyone can enter their ‘worm’ to race up a three-foot length
of string. The winner is the predictor of the forecast. It also doesn’t hurt
that the winner’s owner gets $1000 cash. There are many more festivals
throughout the United States based on this caterpillar!
Unfortunately,
as much as we would like to believe this folklore, the National
Weather Service claims this is a myth. The caterpillar’s coloring
is actually based on how long it has been feeding, its age and species. The
width is an indicator of the current or past season’s growth rather than an
indicator of the severity of the upcoming winter. The bands are also indicators
of age. With each molt, their color changes and they become less black and redder.
Lastly, there are about 260 species of the tiger moths in North America all
which have a slightly different color pattern.
Now that this myth has been debunked, I can explain an actual accurate
and astonishing feature of the caterpillar! When the caterpillars search for a
spot to hibernate, they begin creating natural organic antifreeze called
glycerol. The entire caterpillar freezes sans the interior of their cells. The
cells are protected by hemolymph, so they can survive temperatures as low as
-90 degrees Fahrenheit. Now that’s what I call a North Face Jacket! With this ultra-effective
technique, some species actually live in the Artic where they adapt by living
in a state of slow motion. While most caterpillars live for 2-4 weeks before
becoming moths, the artic wooly worms spend 14 years in the process. The artic
wooly bear caterpillar can survive an entire winter frozen in an ice cube!
In case this wasn’t enough exciting information, there’s more! The tiger
moths also have an awesome feature which is not present in any other
caterpillars! They are able to make noises to scare away their predators!
When they hear bats nearby they start to emit clicking sounds! When this noise isn’t
used to evade predators, it can also be used to assist in mating.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but next time you’re wondering about
the weather forecast, you should skip asking your pal,
the woolybear, and consult with a weather app instead! Although its weather
predictions aren’t up to par, feel free to consult with the woolybear for its
beautiful colored bands or tiger-like colors. You might even want to befriend a
woolybear if you’re short on cash and looking to race! While the ancient folklore
no longer holds true, you can still hope to spot the Woolybear Caterpillar in
all of its banded colored greatness!
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