Other common black caterpillars have vibrant orange or yellow markings.Įven though some black caterpillars may look unsightly and unappealing, they turn into beautiful butterflies or moths. Some species of caterpillars are black and fuzzy with hair-like spines. Many types of black caterpillars are interesting to look at and some look quite scary. After hatching from an egg, caterpillars gorge on a diet of plant and tree leaves. All species of caterpillars belong to the order of insects called Lepidoptera. That's all there is they just want to sleep for the winter in a dark, sheltered spot.īy springtime, the caterpillar forms a cocoon, and a few weeks later becomes an Isabella tiger moth, which is active at night throughout the summer.Email Pinterest Facebook Twitter Linkedinīlack caterpillars are insects that come in all shapes and sizes. Lastly, the caterpillar travels north, south, east or west in search of a place to curl up and hibernate for the winter. The woolly caterpillar’s coat helps it survive the winter, living through temperatures as low as -90 degrees! As a result, we may see many different color and hair variations each fall that would alter the folklore’s forecast. So, the coloring and size of the woolly worm tell us about the past, not the future.Ĭaterpillars shed their skins several times before reaching adult size, and their colors change with their age, too. The width of the banding is an indicator of the current or past season’s growth. The better the preceding growing season, the bigger the woolly worm will grow.
In North America, there are over 200 species.
The caterpillar’s coloring is thought to be based on its age, how long it’s been feeding and its species. The caterpillar can’t predict what Old Man Winter has in store for the upcoming winter season.
As much fun as it is to search for the woolly worm each fall, don’t put your bets on it.
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