The wings have black spots on them and when at rest are held roof-like over the body. The moth has a broad range throughout North America and is medium-sized with a dull yellow to tan color, tiny head, and furry little body. It is a caterpillar larval stage of the Isabella tiger moth ( Pyrrharctia isabella). So just where are they going? The woolly worm, sometimes called the 'woolly bear', is actually not worm at all. It seems like with each step you see one of these little guys moving across the road like a locomotive. If you ever go on a walk in the evenings just look at the road. You know, the dark-colored fuzzy caterpillars (or in some cases white) that begin to appear and are in a big hurry to go somewhere. One thing that I can't help but notice each year at this time is the activity of the woolly worms. Warm days with cool nights.this is what I have been waiting for all summer long!! There is nothing like the crispness of a cool autumn morning!! Soon the leaves on the trees will begin to change and the sounds of harvest will begin. My soulful twin, Bill, had an affinity for turtles.Autumn is almost upon us. He quickly roused and raced to the water finding shelter under a heart-shaped stone.

I carried him to the brook running beneath the road. The little guy was sluggish, perhaps dehydrated.

Recently I came across a baby snapping turtle. I’ve helped more than the furry cross the road, though. They say worms take advantage of wetness, which allows them to move far more quickly than through the soil. Partly because so many slithery critters seemed daunting, but mostly because of the slime factor versus cute and fuzzy. I feel bad not helping the furry fellas, though.Ī few weeks ago, dozens of worms took to the road during a rainy spell. ( Here’s a link to a previous column on the subject). The thing is, they can cause a nasty rash that may require medical attention. They are adorable, with longish spikes of fur jutting beyond their white coat, fashioning a row of black spots. I’ve come across other critters roadside, such as the white fuzzy Hickory Tussock caterpillars ( Lophocampa caryae) that I didn’t help cross the road. Admittedly there’s a contradiction about my kindness in helping woolly bears.

Download black wooly worms