Coastal BC Insects: Yellow Woolly Bear Caterpillar

Yellow Woolly Bear Caterpillar

This year I've found a new type of critter in my floating garden. First I found two when I pulled out overgrown lettuce plants. The next I found on beet leaves used as mulch under my broccoli, so I'm not sure which plant was the attraction.

I'm pretty sure it is a caterpillar of the Virginian Tiger Moth (Spilosoma virginica), a white moth with small black spots on its wings.

Yellow Woolly Bear caterpillar on a beet leaf.

The larval stage is known as known as the Yellow Woolly Bear or Yellow Bear caterpillar. Even though the name implies they are yellow, actual colouring can be from white, to beige, to yellow and even dark red and brown. No matter what the colour, the woolly bear name comes from long its covering of long hairs.

Virginian Tiger Moths and their Yellow Woolly Bear caterpillars are common throughout North America. Caterpillars are abundant and feed on low growing plants, shrubs and even tree leaves in yards, gardens and natural settings.

The caterpillars are voracious eaters. After about a month of eating their fill, they search for a place to pupate.  Then, in about another month, they emerge as an adult moth.

Adult moths are commonly found from late spring to fall. They are especially attracted to lights. I'll have to put a light out in the evenings to see if I can get a picture of one of the moths to update this post. -- Margy