According to folklore, the caterpillar below foretells a mild winter this year, the wider the reddish band the milder the winter. The reddish band on the caterpillar is actually an indication of its age. Each successive molt of the caterpillar adds more reddish hairs, or setae, lessening the number of black setae. The caterpillar may molt 5 or 6 times. Each stage between molts is called an instar. The last instar has the most reddish setae. Woolly Bears overwinter as caterpillarsRead more