Page 581 - The Book of Caterpillars: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World

MOTH CATERPILLARS

FAMILY Erebidae
DISTRIBUTION North America, from southern Canada south to Mexico
HABITAT Woodlands, scrub, wastelands, parks, and gardens
HOST PLANTS More than 100 low-growing plants, trees, and shrubs, including
Pinto Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), Soybean (Glycine max),
and Corn (Zea mays)
NOTE Caterpillar covered in hairs that can irritate
CONSERVATION STATUS Not evaluated

ADULT WINGSPAN
1¼–2 ⁄ in (32–53 mm)
CATERPILLAR LENGTH
2⅜ in (60 mm)
SPILOSOMA VIRGINICA
YELLOW WOOLLY BEAR 579

(FABRICIUS, 1798)

Yellow Woolly Bear caterpillars hatch from yellow eggs laid
in large clusters of up to 100 on the underside of leaves. The
young caterpillars are gregarious but disperse as they get older.
The larvae are active from May to November. There are two
generations over the summer months, with the pupae of the
second generation overwintering on the ground in the leaf litter.
The cocoon consists of silk threads and brown hairs, so it is well
disguised among the dead leaves.

The common name relates to the caterpillar’s covering of dense
tufts of long, soft, orange-brown, irritating hairs, which can
cause a skin rash if the larvae are handled without gloves. This
species has a uniform color unlike the related Banded Woolly
Bear (Pyrrharctia isabella), which, as its name suggests, has bands
of black and orange. The Spilosoma virginica adult is better
known as the Virginia Tiger Moth.

The Yellow Woolly Bear caterpillar is covered
in tufts of hairs, which vary in length. They are
usually orange brown with some variation from
yellow to red brown, but, whichever the color, it is
uniform throughout. Beneath the hairs, the body
is yellow with a dark lateral line and spiracles
ringed in white.
Actual size