Woolly bear caterpillar (banded woollybear)

Sources

1. Isabella Tiger Moth (Woolly Bear; Woolly Worm) - Field Guide. Missouri Department of Conservation. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
   Quoted passages (5)

   “Note that touching the bristles can cause dermatitis in some people.”

   “Called "woolly bears" or "woolly worms," they are fuzzy with dense, stiff hairs. They are usually black on the ends of the body and rusty red or brownish in the middle. When disturbed, they commonly roll up in a ball.”

   “The forewings are yellow or tan, pointed, and often have faint lines and small dark spots. Hindwings are lighter and are orange in females.”

   “Based on the caterpillars' wide range of food plants, this moth could be found almost anywhere that plants grow. In the autumn, woolly bears are commonly seen crossing roads as they search for sheltered places in which to overwinter.”

   “Isabella tiger moths overwinter as full-grown caterpillars and have a remarkable capability to withstand freezing temperatures. They pupate within cocoons made from their hairs and emerge as adults in the spring.”

2. Wintery Weather Folklore (Missouri Environment and Garden). University of Missouri Integrated Pest Management. Published: November 11, 2014; checked November 3, 2026.
3. Banded Woollybear / Isabella Moth. NC State Extension (North Carolina State University). Publication date Jan. 30, 2017; checked November 3, 2026.
   Quoted passages (3)

   “Mature caterpillars are a little over an inch long and are covered with stiff hairs.”

   “Banded woollybears feed on plantain (a common weed in many yards) as well as other non-crop plants such as dandelion, dock, aster, goldenrod, and some grasses.”

   “In fall, wollybears seek overwintering shelter under bark, leaf litter or a log, and can survive temperatures as low as -90 F.”

4. Woolly Bear Caterpillar: A Winter Weather Predictor or Not? NOAA National Weather Service, La Crosse WI forecast office. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
   Quoted passages (3)

   “Yet another name for this caterpillar is the Hedgehog Caterpillar, because it curls into a tight bristly ball and "plays dead" when picked up or disturbed.”

   “According to folklore, someone would assume a mild upcoming winter from seeing the caterpillar above, but in actuality this is a Yellow Bear Caterpillar (Spilosama virginica).”

   “According to folklore, someone would assume a severe upcoming winter from seeing the caterpillar above, but in actuality this is a Giant Leopard Moth Caterpillar (Ecpantheria scribonia).”

5. Bug Biz: Pest Management and Insect Identification Series - Puss Moth Caterpillar. LSU AgCenter (Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service). January 25, 2019; checked November 3, 2026.
   Quoted passages (1)

   “The puss moth caterpillar is covered in a coat of tawny to grayish hairs.”

6. Do Woollybears Predict the Winter Weather? Iowa State University Extension and Outreach (Yard and Garden). November 11, 1994; checked November 3, 2026.
   Quoted passages (1)

   “The woollybear in question is not just any of the 8 or more species of fuzzy, bristly-haired, tiger moth caterpillars found in the U.S., but rather the banded woollybear, the caterpillar stage of the isabella moth, Pyrrharctia isabella.”

7. GBIF.org occurrence records, human observations licensed CC0 1.0 or CC BY 4.0 only, accessed November 3, 2026. The datasets behind these counts are listed on our Sources page.
8. State boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau, cartographic boundary file cb_2024_us_state_20m.