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 818 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 24, 2026
Submitted by: saturniidoll
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 26, 2026
Observation date: Jul 06, 2026
Submitted by: saturniidoll
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 23, 2026
Observation date: Jun 23, 2026
Submitted by: saturniidoll
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 22, 2026
Observation date: Jul 10, 2026
Submitted by: drifter423
Region: New Brunswick, Canada
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Jul 13, 2026
Observation date: Jul 03, 2026
Submitted by: dlister
Region: Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 04, 2026
Observation date: Jun 21, 2026
Submitted by: drifter423
Region: New Brunswick, Canada
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 27, 2026
Observation date: Jun 22, 2026
Submitted by: Collferg11
Region: Crow Wing County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 24, 2026
Observation date: Jun 18, 2026
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jun 19, 2026
Observation date: Jun 13, 2026
Submitted by: Steven Wilson
Region: Hampshire County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jun 13, 2026
Observation date: Jun 10, 2026
Submitted by: SusanPotomac
Region: Montgomery County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 12, 2026
Observation date: Jun 02, 2026
Submitted by: saturniidoll
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jun 04, 2026
Observation date: May 17, 2026
Submitted by: Moth_Observer01
Region: Nelson County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 22, 2026
Observation date: May 11, 2026
Submitted by: Moth_Observer01
Region: Nelson County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 22, 2026
Observation date: Apr 29, 2026
Submitted by: M.D.
Region: Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 22, 2026
Observation date: Apr 24, 2026
Submitted by: Moth_Observer01
Region: Nelson County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: May 18, 2026
Observation date: Jul 07, 2023
Submitted by: Cherylk
Region: Orleans County, Vermont, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: May 14, 2026
Observation date: Apr 29, 2026
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: May 06, 2026
Observation date: May 05, 2026
Submitted by: Lisa McClendon
Region: Craighead County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 05, 2026
Observation date: Apr 25, 2026
Submitted by: JamieLynn
Region: Aiken County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Apr 26, 2026
Observation date: Apr 20, 2026
Submitted by: Rob Williams
Region: Leon County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Apr 20, 2026
Observation date: Apr 16, 2026
Submitted by: Bibby_Jones
Region: Franklin County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Apr 17, 2026
Observation date: Apr 10, 2026
Submitted by: MaryInArlington
Region: Fairfax County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Apr 12, 2026
Observation date: May 14, 2025
Submitted by: Ken Cheeks
Region: Edgefield County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Apr 08, 2026
Observation date: Mar 29, 2026
Submitted by: cfield
Region: Aiken County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Mar 30, 2026
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