Woolly bear - child of the tiger!
From August to June this extremely hairy caterpillar can sometimes be seen. Commonly known as the "woolly bear", it is the larval form of an orange and brown moth - the Garden Tiger.
The Garden Tiger Moth caterpillar grows to about 55mm long and is common throughout most of the British Isles including urban gardens although its numbers seem to have declined sharply in recent years.
The caterpillar feeds on a wide variety of herbaceous plants, including Common Nettle, Broad-leaved Dock, Water Dock, burdocks, Hound's-tongue and many garden plants.
The hairs are irritant and protect it from predators, such as birds – so it's not a good idea to pick one up!
Garden tigers overwinter as caterpillars. They sometimes feed and bask in sunshine and may be seen moving rapidly across bare ground when fully grown. They pupate in a thin cocoon among vegetation on or near the ground.
The adult moth is stout and hairy. Its forewings are chocolate-brown with cream patterns, whereas its hindwings are orange-red with black spots. Its bright colours warn predators that it tastes unpleasant.
From July to August the adults are active, primarily at night. Eggs are laid on leaf surfaces and the larvae hatch and feed shortly after the previous generation has died. You will never see both moths and caterpillars at the same time.
Further reading
Links to external websites are not maintained by Bite Sized Britain. They are provided to give users access to additional information. Bite Sized Britain is not responsible for the content of these external websites.