Megan's Nature Nook
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Woolly Bear Caterpillars are known for being able to forecast what winter has in store. Will it be mild with little snow or frigid temps with plenty of snow to go around? You’re supposed to be able to predict winter by measuring the amount of brown and black on the caterpillar. Is this winter weather forecasting fact or folklore? Read on to learn more about these woolly little meteorologists! Woolly Bear Caterpillars are the larval stage of Tiger Moths. Most often we see the caterpillars of Isabella Tiger Moths (Pyrrharctia isabella). There are eight or more species of caterpillars in the United States that we could consider “Woolly Bears” because of their bristly, dense hair that covers their bodies. Most often we see the caterpillar species with both brown and black hair. You may see an all white or all black caterpillar – don’t worry those don’t mean winter is going to be crazy, they’re just a different species than our weather forecaster caterpillars. In the fall we tend to see Woolly Bear caterpillars more often. They are preparing for winter and are looking for an overwintering site inside cavities, under leaves, rocks, logs, or bark. There they will spend the winter in a caterpillar state whereas most caterpillars will overwinter in cocoons. The Woolly Bear is able to survive in the caterpillar stage because of its fur called setae. The fur helps them to freeze more controllably. They have a natural antifreeze called glycerol which keeps the cells from fully freezing and bursting. The caterpillar will spend its winter curled up and mostly frozen. In the spring it will thaw out and the Woolly Bear will spin a cocoon and later emerge as a moth. The Woolly Bears goes through two generations each year. The second generation in its caterpillar form are the ones we tend to notice as they travel to their wintering spots. Woolly Bear caterpillars have 13 body segments, or bands. It is said that by counting the amount of brown and black bands you can predict what the upcoming winter will be like. Wide brown section = mild winter More black there is = the more severe the winter – longer, colder, snowier The position of the largest black section is supposed to predict which part of winter will be the worst. Head = Beginning will be severe Tail = End of winter will be cold The 13 segments are supposed to correspond with the 13 weeks of winter. Dr. Charles Howard Curran, insect curator at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, tested this theory from 1948 – 1956. Each fall he and his wife along with some colleagues and friends would go to Bear Mountain State Park to collect caterpillars, count bands, and determine the average number of brown bands. They called themselves The Original Society of the Friends of the Woolly Bear. After their trip, Dr. Curran would forecast the coming winter weather, as predicted by the Woolly Bears, to The New York Herald Tribune. This publicity made the Woolly Bear one of the most recognizable caterpillars. Dr. Curran’s eight years of sampling was a small data set and not enough to scientifically prove that Woolly Bears could predict the upcoming winter. Although he couldn’t scientifically prove it, Dr. Curran thought the folklore had some merit and might be true. Woolly Bears may not be able to predict the upcoming winter, but their bands do tell somethings. Instead of predicting the upcoming winter, their bands tell you about the previous year. The amount of brown and black coincide with the age of the caterpillar (how long the growing season was) and moisture levels where the Woolly Bear was growing. Because of this, the Woolly Bears will look different from year to year but they’re telling you about the weather that has already happened, not predicting the upcoming winter. Even though they can’t tell us what the upcoming winter has in store, we can still look forward to seeing them in the fall as they cross our paths on the way to their winter homes. These little caterpillars have quite the story behind them! Since the caterpillars couldn’t tell us what is predicted for winter, here is what The Old Farmer’s Almanac is predicting for winter 2019-2020. Fun Fact:
Woolly Bear caterpillars can survive a temperature as low as -90°F Other names: Woolly Worm, Fuzzy Worm, Fuzzy Bear, Woolly Bear, Hedgehog Caterpillar – because it curls up into a ball when picked up. Festivals: There are many festivals to celebrate the Woolly Bear Caterpillar, some have been going on for many years while others are newer. Many of these festivals include parades, Woolly Bear races, and “official” winter weather predictions. Woollybear Festival in Vermilion, Ohio (1973) Beattyville, Kentucky (1987) Lewisburg, Pennsylvania (1997) Woolly Worm Festival held in Banner Elk, North Carolina (2009) Oil City, Pennsylvania (2008) Lion’s Head, Ontario (2011) The Nature Museum at Bear Mountain State Park started the annual Woolly Bear count 30 years after Curran’s counts ended and continues on today. These little creatures have made quite the impact!
3 Comments
Elana
11/26/2019 12:49:18 am
Good news: this is fascinating and I'm so glad that I read about it on your very educational blog!
Reply
Megan Betcher
11/27/2019 10:53:01 am
Thanks for being a dedicated reader of my blog! I agree that there should be a Woolly Bear shirt! Maybe we need to work on a design!
Reply
Elana
12/2/2019 01:34:42 pm
I would definitely work on a t-shirt collaboration project with you! Leave a Reply. |
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