tent caterpillars
Colonial tree larvae
Tent caterpillars are moth larvae that live communally in silken webs spun in the forks of tree branches.
The webbing forms a tent-like shelter where the caterpillars cluster when not feeding.
They can defoliate trees during outbreaks: The cherry trees were covered in tent caterpillars this spring.
- moltShed outer covering
- webbingTough woven strap material
- entomologyStudy of insects
- silkenSmooth and lustrous
- egg massBundled reproductive cells
larvae · infestation · seasonality · outbreak · communal living · hatching · forests · insects · parasitic wasps · natural predators · defoliation · thermoregulation · pests · pest control · camouflage · Lepidoptera · forest pests · gypsy moth
- pestsants, ant, bugs, cockroach, cockroaches
- Lepidopterabutterflies, moths, monarch, cocoons, chrysalis
- larvaelarvae, larva, maggot, maggots, grub
- plant pestsaphids, aphid, mealybugs, mites, whiteflies
- orchard pestsaphids, apple maggot, borers, mites, scale insects
ecological impact on trees
tent caterpillarsbeneficial insects
Arthropods aiding agriculture
pollinators · predatory insects · ladybugs · lacewings · ground beetles