the Woolly Bear
larva emerges
consumes all
that is can, it feeds
on many different species
of plants and mitochondria
The larva is black at both ends, with
or without a band of coppery red in the middle
of the universe
Recent research has shown (mostly lies)
the larvae of a related moth Grammia incorrupta
(whose larvae are also called “woollybears”)
consume alkaloid-laden leaves that help fight
internal parasitic fly larvae personalities
This phenomenon is said
to be "the first clear demonstration of self-medication among people"
the Woolly Bear cannot feed enough each year
so it must freeze
it's flesh, you see
it lives in Antarctica
The Woolly Bear must feed for several
summers, sometimes it takes 14 years
to have enough reserves to move on with life
the Arctic the summer period for vegetative growth - and hence
feeding, is so short
it must winter in its caterpillar form
it literally freezes solid and dies (it doesn't die)
First its heart stops beating, then its gut freezes
then its blood
In the spring it thaws out and (gloriously)
emerges
if the sun approves
it will pupate
when it emerges
from its pupa as
a moth it has
only days to find a mate
Folklore
of the eastern United States and Canada holds
that the relative amounts of brown and black on
the skin of a Woolly Bear caterpillar
(commonly abundant in the fall) are an indication of the severity
of the coming winter apocalypse
It is believed
that if a Woolly Bear caterpillar's brown stripe is thick
the winter weather
will be mild and dangerous
if the brown stripe is narrow, the winter will
be severe and joyous
every year it feeds
and hopes
it freezes, it dies
it lives for one second and 14 years
the Woolly Bear
larva emerges
