Branded Wolly Bear

Banded Wolly Bear

 

 

common name: Banded Wolly Bear

 

Scientific name: Pyrrharctia isabella 

 

Biology & Ecology: The Banded Wolly Bear, or Pyrrharctia isabella, is a moth. This moth has two life stages, a larva and a moth which is named the Isabella tiger moth. This species starts off as an egg, then emerges during the fall/  beginning of winter as a caterpillar. Then it freezes solid!! Its heart stops beating, and then its gut, and its blood. It can survive by using a cryoprotectant. This a subtance that the animal uses to protect biological tissue from freezing. Then it thaws out in the spring time to pupate. Once the moth comes from its pupa as a moth, it dies in a few days. In the artic, where the summer food is shortened, the caterpillar feeds for many summers, freezing itself every winter.  Some can live up to 14 winters.

Location: On the foundation of my house, then we put it on our rockwall.
Time: 1:20 pm
What was it doing: Crawling around, then curled up in a ball when it put it on the rock wall.



 

crawling on the foundation.

 

It curled up in a ball when we moved it, probally as a defense move.

While i was taking pictures, it oozed this yellow stuff. So either it
went to bathroom or something else happened, but i dont know