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 685 verified sightings
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
Submitted by: buddingnaturalist
Region: Olmsted County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 21, 2022
Observation date: Jul 04, 2022
Submitted by: Barometz
Region: Essex County, New York, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Jul 13, 2022
Observation date: Jun 26, 2022
Submitted by: BarbSendelbach
Region: Sussex County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: BarbSendelbach
Verified date: Jul 12, 2022
Observation date: Jul 08, 2022
Submitted by: lantana
Region: Suffolk County, New York, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Jul 11, 2022
Observation date: Jul 08, 2022
Submitted by: Val89
Region: Schoharie County, New York, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Jul 09, 2022
Observation date: Jul 08, 2022
Submitted by: Sometimes
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 09, 2022
Observation date: Jul 05, 2022
Submitted by: Bob Jacobson
Region: Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Jul 05, 2022
Observation date: Jul 02, 2022
Submitted by: npacadia
Region: Hancock County, Maine, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Jul 05, 2022
Observation date: Jun 16, 2022
Submitted by: Mark Duigon
Region: York County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 02, 2022
Observation date: Jun 25, 2022
Submitted by: RStankiewicz
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 01, 2022
Observation date: Jun 28, 2022
Submitted by: RStankiewicz
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 01, 2022
Observation date: May 15, 2022
Submitted by: Team-Chick