Gardening Sweet Spots
By Donna Hessel
The Winter Weather Forecaster
If you live in Ohio, you have likely heard that the width of the fuzzy bands on this caterpillar are the predictors of our forthcoming winter weather. Maybe you’ve even attended the well-known, one-day festival in Vermillion, Ohio that was initiated by Dick Goddard in 1973 and draws thousands of visitors every year. According to folklore, the longer the black bands on the woolly bear, the longer, colder, snowier and more severe the winter will be. If the rusty bands are longer, it will be a milder winter. Interestingly, the woolly bear has 13 body segments, which forecasters say correlate to the 13 weeks of winter.
Unfortunately, this (much beloved) caterpillar is just that. Its coloring is based on how long it has been feeding, its age and its species. The caterpillar molts six times before reaching adult size and with each molt, its colors change becoming less black and more reddish. There are approximately 260 species of tiger moths (the adult of the woolly bear caterpillar) in N. America, each with slightly different color patterns.

Fall is when woollies are crossing roads and paths to hunt for a good spot to hibernate for the winter. Once found, they curl up into small, bristley balls and freeze. An organic antifreeze called cryoprotectant in their hemnolymph (blood-like fluid) lowers their body temperature to about 14 degrees F. They also produce a chemical that slows development of ice in the fluid between their cells so they literally turn into woolly ice cubes. When spring arrives, they thaw and start crossing roads again, now searching for food.

After a short feeding period, they produce silk they mix with their setae (the bristles), forming cocoons. Cocoons hatch after about two weeks and the Isabella tiger moth emerges. Adults feed, mate, lay about 50 eggs on plants and then die in a couple of weeks. The eggs hatch after 4-5 days into the next generation of woolies. The larvae spend the next few weeks eating, growing and molting into the next generation.
Our Favorite Ruling Monarch!

If you’re lucky, you may have masses of Monarch butterflies passing through your property on their 3,000 mile journey to Mexico. Monarchs from the eastern states make stops at refuge sites with abundant nectar and shelter from the elements. The overwintering generation starts its journey back north in March, laying eggs in breeding grounds along the way. Eggs are laid exclusively on milkweed plants. When they hatch, the larvae eat their nutrient-rich eggshell and milkweed leaves. They also ingest toxins (cardenolides) that are poisonous to predator birds. Within 2 weeks, they become up to 3,000 times their original size.

Mature caterpillars attach themselves to a leaf or stem, transform into a chrysalis and emerge a few days later as the beautiful orange, black and white butterfly we all love. Planting milkweed in your garden will help these beautiful creatures survive and multiply.
Surprise! Look What the Ugly Tomato Hornworm Turns Into


If you grow tomatoes, you’ve no doubt grimaced and picked off a couple of tomato hornworms…and destroyed them. Too bad because you won’t see their adult form as the Hummingbird Hawk Moth that we’ve all mistaken at times for a hummingbird hovering and sipping nectar from our flowers! Also known as the Five Spotted Hawk Moth, the caterpillar has eight curved white stripes on each side of its body and a straight black horn at the rear. The caterpillars can grow to four inches. They love tomato, eggplant, pepper and potato plants. They remain caterpillars from 28 to 36 days, after which they burrow into the soil 3-4 inches to pupate and overwinter. In May or June they emerge as hummingbird moths. Can you tolerate a couple of hornworms to get hummingbird moths? It’s up to you.
Swallowtail Butterflies
Swallowtail butterflies are often seen in our gardens on flowers such as zinnias and plants in the carrot family such as dill, parsley and celery. There are six species in Ohio. They belong to a family of more than 550 species worldwide, 30 of which live in N. America. Their family name is Papilionaide. Two of the most common in my neighborhood are the black swallowtail and tiger swallowtail. Their caterpillars are slightly different colorwise, although both have dots and stripes.

Swallowtails are named for the forked tail extensions on their rear wings, resembling the tails of swallow birds. Swallowtail butterflies feed on flowers and can be found in mud or damp sand where they sip dissolved minerals and salt. Setting a shallow pan filled with damp sand in your garden will attract swallowtails. Their bright colors that mimic noxious-tasting animals are protection from predators, including red-wing blackbirds and green darner dragonflies.
Swallowtails do not migrate. The female lays 200-430 eggs at a rate of 30-50 a day. It takes about 3-9 days for eggs to hatch and the caterpillar consumes the eggshell. During the molting process (five times), they change color. The caterpillar feeds on its host plant for 3-4 weeks, then forms a chrysalis on a branch or twig that closes after 10-20 days. Chrysalises overwinter, with caterpillars emerging in the spring to begin a new generation.

Painted Ladies
The painted lady butterfly is one of the most common butterfly species in the world, found in meadows, parks and gardens. Painted ladies are excellent pollinators. It cannot survive heavy frosts and cold conditions and migrates to warmer climates in winter. It is small, with only a 2” to 2-1/2” wingspan. Look for its four eyespots on its lower rear wings.


Females lay pale green eggs, one to the underside of a leaf of host plants in the thistle and aster families. These plants are essential food for developing caterpillars and account for the final coloration of the butterflies. Caterpillars have alternating bands of black, yellow and white and are covered with tiny, bristle-like hairs. The chrysalis is mottled and earth-toned, resembling a dried leaf or twig, which provides camouflage for the developing butterfly. Inside the chrysalis the caterpillar’s body breaks down into a nutritive soup. From this soup, the adult butterfly takes form, developing wings, legs and intricate coloration. The caterpillar molts several times, shedding its skin to accommodate new growth until it emerges as the beautiful painted lady butterfly.
Other Common Caterpillars/Butterflies in Ohio
Some others you may see are:
- Great Spangled Fritillary
- Leopard Moth
- Pearl Crescent
- Buckeye
- Luna Moth
These are just a few of the most common caterpillars you may find in your garden. Be careful handling any you may find. Some sting (none of those described do) and many will irritate your skin.
Text References
Woolly Bear-“The Root of It” – Summit County Master Gardener-Sept-2024 Newsletter Creature Feature – “Wooly Bully Woolly Bears” by C. Christian
Woolly Bear Folklore: https://www.weather.gov/arx/woollybear#:~:text=Even%20though%20there%20is%20great,courtesy%20of%20Anthony%20W.%20Thomas.
Tomato Hornworm:
https://www.caterpillaridentification.org/caterpillars-by-state-listing.php?reach=Ohio-tomoto hornworm and swallowtail
Swallowtail:
https://www.mgmanitoba.com/2021/05/13/life-cycle-of-the-black-swallowtail-butterfly-papilio-polyxenes/
Painted Lady:
https://www.butterfliesathome.com/painted-lady-butterfly.htm
https://www.gardenbuildingsdirect.co.uk/blog/painted-lady-butterfly/
Monarch Butterfly:
https://pollinator.org/monarch?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhaTRu-mniQMVynJHAR0cWxK9EAAYASAAEgJ_2fD_BwE