Tent caterpillars—Malacosoma spp.
Adult tent caterpillars are hairy, medium-size, day-flying moths, usually dull brown, yellow, or gray
in color.
Identification of species | Life cycle
Damage
Tent caterpillars feed on deciduous trees and shrubs throughout the U.S. Depending on the species, their
hosts include ash, birch, fruit and nut trees, madrone, oak, poplar, redbud, toyon, and willow. Larvae
form silken webs on foliage. They forage on foliage but do not eat leaf veins.
Solutions
Inspect plants regularly and when larvae are young, prune
out tents or clip and dispose of infested branches if this
can be done without cutting major limbs. On heavy infestations, Bacillus
thuringiensis
or spinosad can be applied if high-pressure spray equipment
is used so that insecticide penetrates any webbing. | 
Forest
tent caterpillar larva
Western
tent caterpillar larvae and damage
|
