Woolly bear caterpillars, or woolly worms, are a common sight this time of year as they begin to seek out a safe place to ride out the upcoming winter.
But, could they also be trying to give us a heads-up about what the approaching winter holds for us?
According to a well-known legend, they just might. A woolly bear caterpillar’s body is made up of 13 segments, colored either black or brown. If there’s more brown, legend has it that the upcoming winter will be milder. More black coloring suggests a harsher winter ahead.
So, let’s take a look back at how the legend started. In the fall of 1948, Dr. C. H. Curran from the American Museum of Natural History in New York traveled to Bear Mountain, outside of New York City, to study the caterpillars there. By determining the average number of brown segments in the caterpillars over the next 8 years, each fall Curran found more than a third of the caterpillar’s bodies were colored brown. And yes, the following winters were milder than normal.
It doesn't matter if the little critter is accurate or not, it gives us a good excuse to cuddle with our honey! Grab a cozy woolly blanket and thank a caterpillar.
PS The caterpillars can freeze during the winter, but in the spring, they create a cocoon and emerge as an Isabella Tiger moth.
PS The caterpillars can freeze during the winter, but in the spring, they create a cocoon and emerge as an Isabella Tiger moth.
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