Error message
Unable to fetch location details at this time.
Isabella Moth (caterpillar)
Pyrrharctia isabella
40.5978, -74.3806
Field Notes
Description:
"The Isabella Tiger Moth (Pyrrharctia isabella) can be found in many cold regions, including the Arctic. The banded Woolly Bear larva emerges from the egg in the fall and overwinters in its caterpillar form, when it literally freezes solid. First its heart stops beating, then its gut freezes, then its blood, followed by the rest of the body. It survives being frozen by producing a cryoprotectant in its tissues. In the spring it thaws out and emerges to pupate. Once it emerges from its pupa as a moth it has only days to find a mate."
"This species is a generalist feeder—it feeds on many different species of plants, especially herbs and forbs."
-Wikipedia
Comments (1)