Forest tent caterpillar
From Freepedia
| Forest tent caterpillar Conservation status: Secure | ||||||||||||||
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| Image:Malacosoma disstria-moth.png a. eggs on twig, b. moth form, c., d. eggs | ||||||||||||||
| Image:Malacosoma disstria-caterpillar.png caterpillar form | ||||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||
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| Binomial name | ||||||||||||||
| Malacosoma disstria Hübner, 1820 |
The forest tent caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria) is a North American moth, found throughout the United States and Canada, and most common in the eastern regions.
The larvae of this species do not make tents, rather they weave a silky sheet where they lie together during molting. They string bits of silk between branches and travel along them like tightrope walkers. They are gregarious and often travel and feed en masse. The caterpillars live in deciduous trees, which they strip of leaves after emerging from their eggs. They favor oak, gum, and aspen trees, but they can be found on nearly any type of woody tree or bush. The caterpillars are considered problematic when their populations explode in the springtime. They can completely defoliate a tree. The trees re-foliate quite quickly (within two weeks to a month) and produce enough new leaves to carry on photosynthesis. Little lasting damage is caused to the trees but the disappearance of foliage is an eyesore and can be an agricultural nuisance.
It has also been found that mares can be led to deliver premature stillborn foals after eating forest tent caterpillars while grazing, possibly due to a bacterial or viral agent carried by the caterpillars. Because of this, forest tent caterpillars are usually eradicated from areas where pregnant mares are kept.
Forest tent caterpillars are just over 2 inches (5 cm) in length, black or dark brown or gray with blue and faint yellow longitudinal stripes. Each abdominal segment bears a white spot. The caterpillars have long setae, giving them a furry look. The adult moth that emerges after pupation is yellow or tan with a thick, short, furry body. The wingspan is about 1.5 inches (3 cm). They lay eggs in masses of up to 300, which are stuck to twigs and covered with a gluey cement called spumaline, which prevents the eggs from desiccating or freezing over the winter. The eggs hatch the following spring.
