Species Malacosoma disstria - Forest Tent Caterpillar Moth - Hodges#7698

7698

wingspan 25-45 mm

larvae length to 64 mm

Adult: stout-bodied; forewing light brown with two darker, thin parallel lines extending across mid-portion, the area between often being dark and appearing as a single broad, dark band

Larvae: dark-gray to brownish-black background body color, highlighted by broad, pale-blue lines and thin, broken yellow lines extending along each side; dorsum of each abdominal segment has distinct whitish keyhole or shoeprint-shaped marking; body has fine, whitish, and sparsely distributed hairs

throughout most of United States and southern Canada but more common east of Mississippi River

on or near host tree species

Adults usually fly from April to July (as early as February in Florida). Caterpillars typically April-June.

larvae feed on leaves of alder, basswood, birch, cherry, oak, poplar, willow

One generation per year; larvae spin silken mats on tree trunks and large branches where they congregate to molt or rest from feeding; larvae also deposit silk in strands along which they travel to and from feeding sites; overwinters as larva in masses surrounding tree branches. (Unlike Eastern Tent Caterpillar, this species does not form silken tents.)