Posted on 11/12/2021 6:20:56 PM PST by Jamestown1630
My husband saw today what he swears was a ‘woolly bear’ caterpillar (Pyrrharctia isabella) – but it had no brown band, it was all black.
I suggested to him that it might be another species that looks similar, but he was adamant – he grew up in rural Central Pennsylvania, and this time of year they saw them all over the place, and he denies that its spines were anything like those of the Giant Leopard or any other one around these parts that we could find pictured.
The legend is that the width of the brown bar on the Woolly Bear indicates what the coming Winter will be like – the more narrow it is, the more harsh the Winter. But there are indications that the original research suggesting this was flawed, and that the differences in the width of the brown bar could have to do with how many times the critter has molted.
But none of that explains an entirely black one in Maryland.
The Hagerstown Town and Country Amanack used to have a ‘Woolly Bear’ contest every year, but they ceased it about six years ago. However, their prognosicator is predicting a particularly harsh Winter for most of Maryland.
Does anyone know what species this all-black caterpillar may have been? It was seen just a few miles Northeast of DC, in Maryland. I’ve never seen one that didn’t have at least some width of brown in the middle of the back.
This is a fun guy/channel for Nature stuff:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=da1CQs1AK4Q
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbGNToDnkiNxCDOAxud03mQ
(I chose 'poetry' as one of the topics, because I was struck by this statement on the 'topics' list: "Poetry is important. No less than science, it seeks a hold upon reality, and the closeness of its approach is the test of its success." Babette Deutsch (1895–1982), U.S. poet.
All black means a cold winter, even below the Mason-Dixon.
I live in NC and we have all black woollys all over
I caught mine smoking a hookah, pray tell what does that mean?
I have always been fond of those fuzzy little creatures :-)
Always heard a hard, cold winter. At least from the old timers in Kentucky.
Same in east Tennessee...seen all black ones with my own eyes...had one in the palm of my hand.
And you can handle them. They’re not venemous to most people - but be careful with other caterpillars!
I’m from Michigan. I used to see a lot of yellow and white caterpillers, but never one like that with black and red.
As a kid, I used to catch them and put them in a long empty Nestea jar with some leaves. Just to watch for a while.
Some of them would end up forming a coccoon for the winter.
Look but don’t touch the woolies.
Woolies give you the Willies!
It is a different species, the caterpillar of the giant zebra moth:
https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/MISC/MOTHS/Hypercompe_scribonia.htm
The regular banded woolly worm aka woolly bear grows up to be a giant Isabella moth:
https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/MISC/MOTHS/Hypercompe_scribonia.htm
I saw one of the black ones last year and wondered the same, so I looked it up. Glad it did not foretell a never-ending winter!
Oops, second link was supposed to be
https://www.almanac.com/woolly-bear-caterpillars-and-weather-prediction
I’ve seen an all black caterpillar. He objected to calling Kamala Harris black.
Long winter of gardening?
My husband is pleased that others agree; I’ve just never seen one...
I guess we’d better hunker down, and put in plenty of fire wood.
Too much Lewis Carroll.
It means that your caterpillar is erudite and widely- and interestingly-read.
I showed that to him. The one he saw looked nothing like it.
Here’s a question, I wonder if they always cross a road in the same direction? I’ve never noticed.
FReegards
It did not look all black like this one?
https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/MISC/MOTHS/Hypercompe_scribonia.htm
Hmm. Mystery then!
Grrr. Messed up the link again.
https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/MISC/MOTHS/Hypercompe_scribonia03.jpg
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