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Fuzzy Caterpillar - Close Up

Posted by Amanda Carter,
North Country explorer from Dallas, Texas
April 3, 2013

Right before the end of our hike, as the last bit of elevation at Azure Mountain leveled out, I spotted this fuzzy brown caterpillar crawling along the thawing snow. At the time I thought it was a strange for a caterpillar to be around, because I'm used to seeing them strictly in the summer. After some research of common Adirondack caterpillars, I believe it belongs to the family Arctiidae. I couldn't narrow it down to one specific species, but the caterpillars in this family are recognizable by their hairy bodies. This family includes the "wooly bear" caterpillar, whose coloration is said to correspond with the severity of the coming winter. What struck me about caterpillars in this family is that they hatch in the fall and remain caterpillars throughout the entire winter, when their bodies literally freeze solid. They produce a chemical, called a cryoprotectant, that keeps their tissues from being damaged. In the spring, they thaw out and pupate.