We caught a glimpse of this fuzzy wuzzy — Platyprepia virginalis — after setting out the first traps of the season for the WSG Crab Team: Green Crab Monitoring Program at Third Lagoon. The white stripe down the back lends a hint of  “punk rock” to the appearance, but as it turns out, this wee woolly is more of an enigma than a rebel.

Now awake from its winter nap, this caterpillar will feast on things yet unknown, avoid predation and, if all goes well, transform into the polka-dotted Ranchman’s Tiger Moth by summer. The Ranchman’s Tiger Moth can be found fluttering from California to southern British Columbia, and even as far inland as Wyoming.

We’ll be hoping to catch a glimpse of this beauty during one of our other trapping sessions, but if there’s anything certain about what happens when you get outdoors, it’s that there’s always an element of surprise in what you might find.

Photo courtesy of butterfliesandmoths.org