Oh boy........ my subject of extreme expertise!!!
I studied Wooly worms extensively and collected hundreds to examine the color of the bands. I wanted to learn if there was actually a correlation between color variation and weather severity. The color variation was compared to NOAA weather statistics for the winter months.
There are thirteen segments to the caterpiller and thirteen weeks of winter.
My conclusion is that there is no correlation between the color variation and the severity of the winter.
As a matter of fact, people often find a solid black wooly worm and conclude that really bad weather is coming. As it turns out, that is a totally erroneous conclusion. The solid black wooly worm is in fact another and completely different species.
Having examined and recorded the coloration of literally hundreds of the wooly worm species Isia isabella, I can say with certainty that there are no solid black individuals of that species.
I can say with certainty that I found no correlation between color variation and the weather
If interested, Freep mail me
They’re my favorite caterpiller. Why do you only see them in the fall?