Woolly Bear Caterpillars

One of my favorite things from childhood was finding woolly bear caterpillars. I grew up in the country, in Michigan, where woolly bears are common. Their fluffy bodies remind me of a kitty's tail. I love cats!

Over the years, we've moved to different areas, and once routine woolly bear sightings became rare. Imagine my delight when I saw five of these caterpillars this weekend.

I posted the following picture on Facebook Saturday. This was one of the caterpillars I came across.

A few friends of mine discussed the winter ramifications of the stripes. A narrow brown band supposedly means a harsh winter while a wide brown band signifies a mild winter. One problem? This one had a black band rather than a brown band. The colors had flip-flopped! The other woolly bears I saw had the traditional black bands with a wide brown stripe.

I'm going to use my unscientific analysis to predict a MILD winter. Hey, why not? The markings must mean something, right?

Here are a few links to learn more about the cute woolly bear caterpillars.

http://cropsci.illinois.edu/news/woolly-bear-caterpillars-and-weather

http://www.almanac.com/content/predicting-winter-weather-woolly-bear-caterpillars

Do you remember any special insect from your childhood? How do you predict a mild or severe winter?

Have a lovely Monday!!

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