# General > Biodiversity >  Hairy caterpillars?

## Dadie

What does the black hairy caterpillars up here turn into?
I know its a moth, but what kind?
And do they change pretty quickly or do they overwinter as a pupa?
So I know how long this science project is going to take with the caterpillar the kids found!

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## Kenn

Would think a Tiger Moth but not sure if they live this far north, do you have a picture of said caterpillar?
"Wooley Bears," are quite colourful and love nettles so if you have those about it might well be.
My children used to collect a couple, put them in a vivarium and then be totally enthralled when the crysalis popped to give life to a very beautiful moth which was then released back into the garden.

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## lingford

we found 1 out at our house in olrig,and have seen afew in the past..
we will see if we coome across them again and take aphoto,,, :Smile: ,,also would love to try your idea of watching the change my son..will try and upload photos....

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## Dadie

Its called Colin......... :Smile: 
And Iona took him to nursery with her for the interest table......so he is here to stay....
For the duration anyway....

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## annemarie482

ah, are we talking about the caithness "hairy brochet" ?!

http://www.windust.net/garden-tiger-moth.html

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## Dadie

He is a bit different to that pic(looked at it before in my search)...his head and tail are black and he has a narrow orange stripe down his back.
Looking for pics on ermine moth caterpillars now....still cant find a pic that looks like him enough to say for definate what he is.

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## WeeBurd

It could be a white ermine, Dadie, we found one late August a few years back. Be warned though, if it is, they overwinter as a pupa, so you may be in for a long wait  ::

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## Dadie

Thats what im worried about......
I might forget about him if he overwinters as a pupa, and its a rather long wait for a 3 year old ... 
If only she chose a cabbage white caterpillar it would only take a few weeks....and a few cabbage leaves.

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## Dadie

Colin seems to be knitting himself(cant think of him as anything but male now the kids have named him) a web around himself.
So with any luck he is thinking about enclosing himself in a cocoon.
I just hope I can keep himself alive over winter, to emerge as a moth (small people will be disappointed he isnt a butterfly) in the spring.
Would it be better to move him into the shed?
Think he is a white ermine going by the photos I found!

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## Pterodroma

Hi Dadie

If Colin is a White Ermine then he is doing the right thing at the right time as they pupate in September. They overwinter as a pupa above ground among plant debris. Your best bet is to keep the pupa somewhere cool and away from the sun or any other heat source, an outside shed would be OK, and cover it with a bit of shredded tissue. If it is in a container it will be protected from parasites and rodents. If it survives in the wild it will emerge in May but sometimes in captivity they emerge earlier because it will generally be warmer. Good luck!

Pterodroma

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