Family Erebidae    Hodges # 8137

Caterpillar foods: low-growing plants, trees and shrubs including clover  (Bugguide)

The caterpillars are called Yellow Bear, or Yellow Woolybear caterpillars.  They have long soft hairs of varying lengths.  The hairs can be yellow, beige, dark reddish brown or black.  (Bugguide)

Sometimes confused with Spilosoma congrua and Hyphantria cunea.  S. virginica has white wings with just a few small black dots, and one or two spots on the hindwing.  Abdomen is also distinctive – with patches of yellow and black along the sides. (Moths of North Carolina)  And legs are white with black or black bands along inside of legs.

6/7/2022

 

6/2/2025

 

6/10/2022

 

5/19/2011

 

5/25/2014

 

6/2/2019

 

6/27/2019

 

7/27/2015  mated pair

 

9/8/2017  Eating clover

 

9/11/2017

 

9/21/2017  cocoon

 

7/31/2018

 

8/4/2018  Just before pupating

 

8/8/2018  cocoon

 

6/27/2021  Yellow eggs found on a grass leaf in the wetland

 

6/28/2021  Eggs just before hatching

 

6/29/2021  Just after most caterpillar hatched

 

7/5/2021

 

7/9/2021

 

7/14/2021  I think the caterpillars all died because I gave them grass to eat.  I didn’t realize what they were, and that they actually don’t eat grass.  They did eat a little grass in the beginning, but maybe needed to move to other plants as they grew.