What Do White Woolly Worms Eat?

White woolly worms, which grow into the Isabella tiger moth, have varied diets. For most of the winter they are hidden underground, and it is mainly in the summer and fall that they feast. They eat many different things, much the same as most other caterpillars.

  1. Vegetables

    • One of the things the white woolly worm eats most is vegetables. If it comes across cabbage, then it will feed mainly on that. It is also particularly fond of spinach, if it is available. Similarly, if it is near corn it will eat that as well. Grass is most often what this caterpillar eats however, due to its easy access.

    Violets

    • Violets are the white woolly worm's favorite flower. It will eat this flower for most of the summer and fall, as will most other caterpillars. This is the plant of choice for most caterpillars, especially Fritillary caterpillars which are divided into two groups -- based on whether they only eat violets -- or just eat violets sometimes.

    Weeds

    • Along with violets, the white woolly worm will eat many different types of weeds. As with violets, this is mostly food for summer and autumn, when the caterpillar is at its hungriest. One of the favorite weeds of the white woolly worm is the lamb quarter, a weed native to every single state in the United States except Hawaii. It also eats clover and any nettles that are accessible.

    As a Moth

    • Once the white woolly worm becomes an Isabella tiger moth, its diet changes radically. It can no longer eat anything solid and must depend entirely on liquid foods. This means that it mostly consumes the nectar of flowers -- just as most butterflies and other moths do. It can also survive on the liquids that make-up various animal wastes, including bird droppings. They also eat tree sap.