How This Little Caterpillar Can Predict Iowa’s Winter Weather

If you see one of these thick, wooly caterpillars cut them some slack. The little creatures are looking for a warm spot to hide out during the upcoming Iowa winter. But did you know that they might actually be able to predict what type of winter we're about to have?

Ginny Mitchell with the Iowa State University Insect Zoo says that there could actually be some science behind the folklore about how the thickness of a caterpillar's stripe can predict the severity of an Iowa winter. Radio Iowa reports that Mitchell points to a study by a fellow entomologist in New York who conducted his study during the 1940s. Mitchell told Radio Iowa that he "sampled all the wooly caterpillars in the area for nine years." Mitchell stated that he discovered that there was at least some correlation between the markings on the caterpillar and the winter weather.

So how can these fuzzy creatures tell us about an Iowa winter? Mitchell told Radio Iowa that if the rusty, orange-colored band is really big, then Iowa will enjoy a mild winter. If the black parts of the caterpillar are larger, Iowa will have a more severe winter. If the caterpillar has more hair than normal, Iowa can expect a severe winter. There are also theories that if you find the caterpillar crawling south, expect a cold winter. If it is crawling north, milder weather is on the way.

Despite the caterpillar study from the 1940s showing some correlation to these wooly wive's tales, the small sample size leads many to question its validity according to Radio Iowa. Have you seen one of these caterpillars this fall? Find one and tell us what kind of winter we're about to have!

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