We have written before about why we like to ride and one of
our big reasons for climbing on the saddle and venturing out is for the things
we see along the way. We have written
about those big flocks of blackbirds, road kill, cemeteries, and much more. This spring we will ride along with Tiger
Moths but we aren’t so much interested in the adult version of the creature, we
like the larval state that is just about everywhere this month: the
Wooly Bear Caterpillar. The things are
constantly crossing roads this time of year, oftentimes with little success. They are easily the most recognized caterpillar
in North America.
The things are famous and can thank Dr. C. H. Curran for
their fame. Old Doc Curran took an
expedition in 1948 to learn more about these fuzzy beings. The expedition set out from his home base of
the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. He prepared and packed everything he would
need for the arduous scientific journey—of forty miles. As it turns out he didn’t need to go very
far. He even drove himself—and took his
wife along.
Why he filled up a tank of
gas and drove up into the Catskills is anybody’s guess. He could have simply crossed the street and
walked a couple of steps into Central Park.
Anyway, we all know the Wooly Bear with its
black-orange-black segments. Fairly
simple construction these things. But,
the little known fact is that the Wooly Bear has an assortment of 13 distinct
and unique black-orange-black segmentations.
The orange middle can vary in width, at least 13 different widths to be
exact. Folklore suggests that the skinnier the orange
band across the middle the more severe the winter. Likewise a fat orange band suggests a mild
winter.
Now, does that orange band predict the winter weather? No, but isn’t folklore great? That is how we got cool events like Groundhog
Day. A good method of predicting winter
weather is to look at the five-day forecast.
So why are these slow creatures crossing so many roads and sidewalks? They are looking for a winter home. They like to spend the cold weather months
behind the bark of trees. There, if is
cold enough, they will actually freeze solid.
When spring comes they thaw and wrap themselves in a cozy cocoon and
wait a couple weeks until they emerge as full grown moths. Not long after that they will become a meal
for something father up the food chain.
It seems that most insects, like moths and butterflies, are simply on
this Earth to be a food source for other animals. It's a tough way to make a living.
The last point we will make here is the fact that Wooly
Bears are not made of wool. The wool is
in fact hair and the type of hair places them scientifically in the “bristle”
family of bristle caterpillars to which there are a few but none as cool as the
Wooly Bear.
