Tent caterpillars

Gypsy moth, forest tent caterpillars, and Eastern tent caterpillars are often found feeding on the leaves of hardwood trees early in the summer.

While forsythia’s bright yellow blossoms are the harbinger of spring, they also mark the emergence of an impressive defoliator, eastern tent caterpillar. Since last summer, this herbivore has survived as eggs deposited in masses on small branches of cherry, apple, and crabapple trees. This

View On Black Spotted this little guy on what I think was wild parsnip that is blooming now. He didn't look like much until I put on my magnifying lens. I took a look at him close up and went "WOW!" The colors on these guys just amaze me.

Tent caterpillars used to drive me crazy eating my apple trees but not anymore! This is the best way to get rid of them in your trees. It's easy, cheap, and organic pest control for tent caterpillars.

Malacosoma californicum, the western tent caterpillar, is a moth of the family Lasiocampidae. It is a tent caterpillar. It is found in the western part of the Nearctic ecozone. (Source: Wikipedia, '', http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malacosoma_californicum, CC BY-SA 3.0 . Photo: (c) Jim Johnson, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), uploaded by Jim Johnson)

Wood County, Texas, forest tent caterpillars (Malacosoma disstria). Forest tent caterpillars feed on the leaves of a number of deciduous tree species. Their feeding damage does not typically impact tree health. In rare cases, trees could become weakened if they are heavily defoliated which would make them more susceptible to other insect attacks or disease. from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Eastern tent caterpillar populations naturally fluctuate from year to year, with large spring outbreaks occurring every several years. Caterpillar nests are commonly found on wild cherry, apple, and crabapple but may be found on hawthorn, maple, cherry, peach, pear, plum, and others as well.

Caterpillars that defoliate trees in your home landscape can be invasive and sometimes require control measures.