woolly bears
Banded fuzzy larvae
Woolly bears are the fuzzy caterpillars of tiger moths, covered in dense bristly hairs that make them look like tiny bottlebrushes.
The banded woolly bear—brown in the middle, black at the ends—is the most familiar, the subject of folk belief that the width of its brown band predicts winter severity.
I found a woolly bear crossing the sidewalk.
- fuzzy wuzzyIndistinct and soft-edged
- setaeStiff hairlike structures
- caterpillarMoth or butterfly young
- moultingShedding outer covering
- overwinteringEnduring the cold months
larva · pupa · hairy · insects · butterflies · hatch · instar · chemical defense · host plants · insect camouflage · melanism · metamorphosis · temperate zones · defensive mechanisms · sequestration · fuzzy · banded · puddings
- larvaelarvae, larva, caterpillar, caterpillars, maggot
- mothsmoth, moths, luna moth, atlas moth, hawk moth