A wooly bear caterpillar, Arctia virginalis, at Bodega Bay. UC Davis Distinguished Professor Richard "Rick" Karban has studied the population dynamics for 40 years. In a newly published article, he and his colleagues attribute precipitation as the main driver in the rise and fall of the population. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Why The Rise and Fall of Wooly Caterpillars at Bodega Bay

  • by Kathy Keatley Garvey
 

UC Davis Distinguished Professor Emeritus Richard “Rick” Karban of the Department of Entomology and Nematology has studied the population dynamics of the wooly bear caterpillar at the University of California Bodega Marine Reserve for the past 40 years. 

Some years, the wooly bear caterpillars, Arctia virginalis, are everywhere; other years, they’re almost absent. Why? 

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