Famous Caterpillar Predicts Weather

Can insects predict weather?  According to an 8 year study of the Woolly Bear Caterpillar carried out by a scientist named Dr. Curran's the answer is yes. The Woolly Caterpillar became a famous caterpillar in North America for its ability to accurately predict weather. The brown/black middle band is the focus. Curran showed the wider the middle ban the warmer the winter would be.

For the past 10 years, Banner Elk, North Carolina hosts an annual “Woolly Worm Festival.” Curran showed the black band width of the Woolly Bear indicated the harshness of the winter. After Curran's work ended in 1948 another group started up called the “The Original Society of the Friends of the Woolly Bear.” Thirty years later the Bear Mountain Sate Park nature museum resurrected the Woolly Bear segment count and forecast.


The Woolly Bear caterpillar transforms into the Isabella Tiger Moth. This medium sized moth is yellowish orange with cream-colored wings spotted with black. While this moth is certainly not known for it’s beauty compared to other moth species, it’s famous origins certainly make it a species of interest. The Woolly Bear Caterpillar is common found in throughout the United States and across the southern third regions of Canada.

So you see this is quite a famous little caterpillar in North America. Yesterday I saw my first Woolly Caterpillar for this spring. Indeed it had a large band compared to what I noticed previous years, and we had a very mild winter. While I am not a scientist I found this very interesting.

What do you think? Do you believe insects and wildlife can accurately predict sighs of spring??? What do you think?

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All information and images produced by and protected by copyright Shelley Myke.
The above image is for display only it is not the Isabella Tiger Moth.