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
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 793 verified sightings
Observation date: May 31, 2025
Submitted by: Michele Pollock
Region: Brown County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Nov 20, 2025
Observation date: Apr 06, 2016
Submitted by: lbone77
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Sep 08, 2025
Observation date: Jun 21, 2025
Submitted by: Shane Miller
Region: Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 26, 2025
Observation date: May 06, 2022
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Cape May County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: BarbSendelbach
Verified date: Jul 15, 2025
Observation date: May 06, 2022
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Cape May County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 14, 2025
Observation date: May 29, 2022
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Sussex County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 14, 2025
Observation date: Apr 28, 2024
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Morris County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 14, 2025
Observation date: Jul 14, 2025
Submitted by: Sometimes
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 14, 2025
Observation date: May 29, 2024
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Morris County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 14, 2025
Observation date: May 02, 2024
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 14, 2025
Observation date: Apr 20, 2025
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 14, 2025
Observation date: Apr 22, 2025
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 14, 2025
Observation date: Apr 23, 2025
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 14, 2025
Observation date: Apr 25, 2025
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 14, 2025
Observation date: May 01, 2025
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 14, 2025
Observation date: May 17, 2025
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 14, 2025
Observation date: May 25, 2025
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 14, 2025
Observation date: Jun 22, 2024
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 14, 2025
Observation date: May 31, 2024
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Orange County, New York, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 14, 2025
Observation date: Jun 14, 2025
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 08, 2025
Observation date: Jul 03, 2025
Submitted by: SWilliams
Region: York County, Maine, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Jul 08, 2025
Observation date: Jul 04, 2025
Submitted by: BlameMyMuses
Region: Kalkaska County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 05, 2025
Observation date: Jun 21, 2025
Submitted by: fiona7kelly7
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 03, 2025
Observation date: Jun 22, 2025
Submitted by: Steven Wilson
Region: Blair County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jun 22, 2025
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