Banded Woolly Bear

Description:

The moth Pyrrharctia isabella is known by different common names at its two main life stages. The adult is the Isabella Tiger Moth and the larva is called the Banded Woolly Bear. The larvae of many species of Arctiid moths are called "woolly bears" because of their long, thick, furlike setae. This species is black at both ends with a band of coppery red in the middle. The adult moth is dull yellow to orange with a robust, furry thorax and small head. Its wings have sparse black spotting and the proximal segments on its first pair of legs are bright reddish-orange. The setae of the Woolly Bear caterpillar do not inject venom and are not urticant—they do not cause irritation, injury, inflammation, or swelling. However, they will play dead if picked up or disturbed. Handling them is discouraged, however, as the bristles may cause dermatitis in people with sensitive skin. This species is a generalist feeder—it feeds on many different species of plants, especially herbs and forbs.[

Habitat:

The insect can be found in many cold regions, including the Arctic. Found above 5,000 feet elevation on the "Balds" of Roan Mountain.

Notes:

The banded Woolly Bear larva emerges from the egg in the fall and overwinters in its caterpillar form, when it literally freezes solid. First its heart stops beating, then its gut freezes, then its blood, followed by the rest of the body. It survives being frozen by producing a cryoprotectant in its tissues. In the spring it thaws out and emerges to pupate. Once it emerges from its pupa as a moth it has only days to find a mate before it dies. Caterpillars normally become moths within months of hatching in most temperate climates, but in the Arctic the summer period for vegetative growth and hence feeding is so short, that the Woolly Bear feeds for several summers, freezing again each winter before finally pupating. Some are known to live through as many as 14 winters.