Yellow bear caterpillar

7055.         We have never seen this caterpillar around before and I have a garden so I’m outside all summer, weather permitting. It was first discovered on a sunny warm day on August 6th, 2020. I first saw one on my ornamental fig tree. I didn’t want to kill it so I put it in the grass. I saw what seemed to be a bigger one on the 9th in the vegetable garden near my finished cauliflower plants. I have no idea where it went from there. I showed the picture to my local nursery and they didn’t know what it was. I don’t want to hurt it but I also don’t want predators in my gardens. Surrey, BC. Canada

Number 7055. This appears to be a yellow bear caterpillar (Spilosoma virginica; Lepidoptera: Erebidae). This species is highly variable in appearance; Click here for some images.