Species guide
Woolly bear (Isabella tiger moth)
HarmlessPyrrharctia isabella
How to recognise it
The famous 'woolly bear' caterpillar is fuzzy with a rusty-orange band between black ends; the adult Isabella tiger moth is a plain yellowish-orange moth.
Is it dangerous?
Harmless to handle — its bristles don't sting, and the folklore that its band width predicts the winter is just folklore.
What to do
Let it crawl on by; no action needed.
Recorded 70,857 times in the wild worldwide.
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