In others, such as New England and the Midwest, people tend to call them “ woolly bears.” (Worm or not, at least we can all agree that they’re not bears!)

Nonetheless, the name “worm” has stuck, at least in some parts of the United States. First of all, the “ woolly worm” is not a worm at all! It’s a caterpillar specifically, the larva of the Isabella tiger moth (Pyrrharctia isabella).