"Wooley Bear"

I opened the garage door the other day, and there, lying behind the garage door on the cement floor, was a long black thick thing.  I recognized it as a caterpillar and didn't want anything to happen to it, so I carefully went to pick it up.  The second I touched it, it rolled up into a circle like you see here.  So I found a piece of cardboard as a background, and took it over by the garden to photograph it in the sunlight.  I haven't seen one of these in years.  The common name is "wooly bear" but it's real name is "eyed-tiger moth caterpillar."  This type of caterpillar is both harmless and beautiful to look at, which makes them a welcome visitor.  They are not harmful to us, and in fact, they are good to have around.  They go through several stages of molting and then go on to become beautiful moths - in this case the giant leopard moth.  It is particularly striking, with its three-inch white wings which look almost porcelain, with embossed black rings randomly positioned throughout. It’s bright and unique, making it stand out even among the most eye-catching insects.  What an amazing find this caterpillar was.  I put it in the herb garden, next to the driveway, and haven't seen it since.