Woolly Bears of Drought

[Fred Schueler]

Everyone,

In 2023 I summarized the occurrence of woolly moth caterpillars in
Bishops Mills - https://ngtimes.ca/hairy-autumnal-wanderers/ - we had
7 of the black Hypercompe scribonia in 2023, but since then there have
been none in 2024 or 2025.

There were 15 of the brown & black Pyrrharctia isabella on the Streets
in 2023, 10 around the houses, & 22 on roads elsewhere = 47

2024: 36 on streets – none elsewhere – 9 around houses = 45
2025: 18 on streets - 11 on roads elsewhere - 29 around houses = 58

I'm now writing up this year's apparent abundance of small P. isabella
during the drought, and wonder what others have seen of these species?

fred.
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Frederick W. Schueler & Aleta Karstad
Fragile Inheritance Natural History - https://fragileinheritance.ca/
2024 annual letter: https://clt1233162.bmeurl.co/11E63979
6 St-Lawrence Street Bishops Mills, RR#2 Oxford Station, Ontario K0G 1T0
on the Smiths Falls Limestone Plain 44.87156° N 75.70095° W
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