What do the colors on a wooly bear mean?

Answer by  elden (116)

The colors on insects are usually for camoflouge. That's why they're so hard to find. Any connection between the colors and the weather is probably coincidental.

Answer by  Teresa18 (304)

Unfortunately no, the different colors of a wooly bear do not predict the weather. Folk-lore states that thewidth of its band tells if the winter will be mild or harsh. The differing colors actually tell the age of the wooly bear.

Answer by  netty228 (73)

This myth cam about in the 1600's. Farmers believed a wide brown stripe told of a mild winter, a thin brown stripe told of a severe winter.

Answer by  shannab (117)

The colors mean nothing. The stripes do. If the stripe is narrow, this means the winter will be mild. If the stripes are wide, the winter will be be easy.

Answer by  eldergeek (473)

Folklore maintains that the narrower the orange band around the Woolly Bear the harsher winter will be. Determined scientific tests don't corroborate this contention. It is, however, a good indication of the caterpillar's age.

Answer by  aks (221)

It is believed that if the wooly bear has a narrow stripe, the winter will be gentle. If it has a wide stripe, the winter will be easygoing. If the stripes are long, the winter will be harsh. The colors generally depend on the age of the wooly bear.