| MadSci Network: General Biology |
Well Katelyn, you're already ahead of the game.
Wooly bear caterpillars are colorful moths that belong to a group called the Artiidae--the Tiger Moths. These caterpillars pupate, or make their cocoons, in the soil, so your terrarium was a great idea!
Wooly bears eat virtually any grassy plants, and be sure to keep them fed or they will eat each other! Also, If you don't feed them enough, then they won't be able to build up enough food reserves to make a cocoon. Because they can't eat while in their cocoon, they have to fatten themselves up first.Normally, wooly bears overwinter (kinda like hibernation) during this time of year, and won't emerge as adult moths until the spring. They can't survive the cold as moths, but they can survive it in their cocoons.
So feed them lots of grass, and put them outside. They will make cocoons in the soil and will come out as moths in the spring.
Good luck!