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Yellow Woollybear

Spilosoma virginica[3]

The yellow woollybear is a long-haired, usually yellow caterpillar that eats many garden plants and weeds; the adult is the white Virginian tiger moth. It is common and rarely needs control.[1][2]

Group
Insect
Order
Lepidoptera
Family
Erebidae
US records
46 states
Sources
3 cited
Updated
2026-10-15
Yellow woollybear caterpillar covered in long pale yellow hairs on a flowering shrub
Yellow woollybear caterpillar covered in long pale yellow hairs on a flowering shrub. (c) Jack Forrester, some rights reserved (CC BY) — via iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0
On this page
  1. Identification
  2. Look-alikes
  3. Where it lives
  4. Biology
  5. Damage and signs
  6. Health risk
  7. Control
  8. Related profiles
  9. Common questions
  10. Sources

How to identify it

  • Caterpillars are covered in tufts of hair from small pale bumps; some hairs are nearly twice as long as the rest, and hair color is usually yellow but ranges from beige to orange-red, reddish brown or black.[1][2]
  • There is a dark line along each side and the spiracles are white.[1]

Look-alikes

Look-alikeHow to tell them apart
Banded woolly bearOhio State notes the banded woolly bear, the Isabella moth's caterpillar, is the other very common woolly bear.[2]

Where it lives

Common across much of the United States, including Missouri and Ohio.[1][2]

US map: public records from 46 states since 1990 (GBIF).

Biology and life cycle

MU Extension reports caterpillars from spring to fall with two to three generations a year.[1]

In fall, woolly bears wander, crossing roads in search of sheltered places to overwinter.[2]

Damage and signs

  • Caterpillars feed on more than 100 vegetable, field crop, fruit, flower and weed species.[1]

Health risk

MU Extension notes woollybear hairs can irritate sensitive skin when handled.[1]

Control

Prevention

Handle with care if you have sensitive skin, since the hairs can be irritating.[1]

Common questions

What is the fuzzy yellow caterpillar in my garden?
Likely a yellow woollybear, the larva of the Virginian tiger moth.[1][2]
Do woollybears sting?
MU Extension says the hairs can irritate sensitive skin when handled.[1]
Why are woolly bears crossing the road in fall?
They are looking for sheltered spots to spend the winter.[2]

Sources

  1. University of Missouri Extension (Caterpillars in Your Yard and Garden, IPM1019), “Caterpillars in Your Yard and Garden, page 54: Yellow woollybear.” extension.missouri.edu/publications/ipm1019-54 (accessed 2026-10-15)
  2. Ohio State University Extension, Butler County, “Woolly Bear Caterpillars (November 10, 2015).” butler.osu.edu/news/woolly-bear-caterpillars (accessed 2026-10-15)
  3. iNaturalist, “Spilosoma virginica taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/60839 (accessed 2026-10-06)

Updated 2026-10-15. Built from sourced records. Spot an error? Tell us.