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Pyrrharctia isabella
Family: Erebidae, Subfamily: Arctiinae, Tribe Arctiini. (Tiger Moths) Larva of the Isabella Tiger Moth. Size: 1.25 inches. Black at both ends with cooper red in the middle and very hairy. Feeds on many different plants including aster, birch, elm, maple and sunflower.
This one was found in a wooded area near a lake, but can be found in gardens, meadows, woodlands. (Beltzville State Park, PA) Range: Mostly Eastern USA and Canada, but also the Arctic.
Video of caterpillar making complete turn included. (So exciting!) I wasn't even going to bother with a photo as I see these all the time. But this one was extra pretty and starting to move. (Does not usually cause reaction or harm if touched)
Spotted on Sep 21, 2012
Submitted on Sep 21, 2012
10 Comments
wow! great photo!!
Congratulations Carol on SOTD!
Congratulations Carol, your Banded Woolly Bear has been chosen to illustrate today's fact for National Moth Week:
National Moth Week 2017 continues! Thanks to all of you who continue to submit moths spottings. In honor of this year’s focus on tiger moths, Project Noah ranger, National Moth Week organizer and Cornell University entomology student Jacob Gorneau is bringing us daily interesting facts about tiger moths (Erebidae: Arctiinae):
"The Isabella tiger moth (Pyrrharctia isabella) is a tiger moth very common in North America. Subjected to a temperate climate, the caterpillars, known as banded woolly bears, overwinter as caterpillars before turning into a pupa in the spring, the stage of development right before coming a moths. Since the caterpillars are exposed to relatively harsh temperatures in the winter, this species has become somewhat tolerant to short-term freezing periods in which the entire caterpillar is frozen and it thaws out. Longer-term freezing periods however can be harmful.
This moth is also the subject of some folklore in which it is said that the amount of the brown on the band determines the length of the forthcoming winter. This however, is just folklore and not scientifically based".
Ref: http://buff.ly/2uDwUeH
Banded Woolly Bear (Pyrrharctia isabella) spotted in Pennsylvania, USA, by Carol Snow Milne
http://buff.ly/2uDd3fE
National Moth Week is from July 22-30. Are you participating? Please register a public or private event here: http://buff.ly/2uDrjVM, especially if your country or region isn't on the map yet!
Don't forget to submit photos of moths you spot here!
http://buff.ly/2uDnAHV
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Fancy footwork and a complete U-turn -- great video.
Loved loved loved the video
Holding on for dear life. Thanks for the pic; I'll never see them the same way again.
Awww look at those cute little hands <3
Awesome video and nice pics!
This is sooo cute!
Superb photos Carol