Eastern Tent Caterpillar Moth
Malacosoma americanum (Fabricius, 1793)
Family: Lasiocampidae
Subfamily: Lasiocampinae
Identification: Body and wings warm fawn brown. Forewing with white am. and pm. lines. Median area sometimes white.
Wing Span: 2.2-4.4 cm.
Life History: Larva feed on many plants and are a serious defoliating pest. They can be easily recognized by the characteristic white webbing ("tents") larvae spin in forks of trees and shrubs in the spring. When full-grown, larvae leave host trees and disperse to form loose cocoons in protected places where they pupate. Infestations tend to be cyclic in severity, worsening for several years until populations crash to low levels.
Flight: Late May-June.
Caterpillar Hosts: Apple and cherry trees, flowering crabapples, and other members of the rose family.
Adult Food:
Habitat:
Range:
Conservation:
NCGR:
Management Needs:
Comments: NULL
Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 693 verified sightings
Observation date: May 31, 2016
Submitted by: dwalsh01
Region: United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 28, 2023
Observation date: Jun 06, 2016
Submitted by: joyceannleppard...
Region: United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 28, 2023
Observation date: Jun 02, 2016
Submitted by: Alijn38
Region: United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 28, 2023
Observation date: Apr 26, 2016
Submitted by: ashleye720
Region: United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 28, 2023
Observation date: May 02, 2016
Submitted by: drewgottovi
Region: United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 28, 2023
Observation date: Apr 13, 2016
Submitted by: Angelove1972
Region: United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 28, 2023
Observation date: Jun 20, 2016
Submitted by: CharlotteK
Region: New Haven County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 28, 2023
Observation date: Jul 19, 2017
Submitted by: Staci Gibson
Region: Lincoln County, Maine, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Dec 17, 2022
Observation date: Jun 09, 2020
Submitted by: mystromenendez
Region: Carroll County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: owlbyr
Verified date: Sep 15, 2022
Observation date: Jun 02, 2022
Submitted by: jim8435wisc
Region: Columbia County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 21, 2022
Observation date: Jun 09, 2022