Tent caterpillars are hairy and .
brownish black, with light stripes down there back. See Figure 1.
.
Figure 1. The Tent caterpillar.
The Tent caterpillars construct a tent of silk on one or more branches of a tree. The tent .
provides protection against weather conditions and predators.
The lifestyle of the tent caterpillar consists of, larva, pupa and adult stages. In June or .
July, the female adult, brown moth, lays numerous eggs (approximately 150-300) on a .
branch. A sticky substance holds the eggs together. The following spring when the leaves .
begin to unfold, the eggs hatch into a caterpillar (which is its larval stage). The .
caterpillars reach maturity after approximately five to seven weeks. In early July, the .
caterpillar spins a cocoon and pupates for two weeks. After emerging as an adult, it mates .
and lays eggs within a period of 24 hours. See Figure 2.
Figure 2. the stages of a tent caterpillars life.
The tent caterpillar is found throughout most of the United States and southern Canada. .
90 percent of the diameter growth can be reduced on the trees that the tent caterpillar had .
damaged. Forest tent caterpillar causes little permanent damage to tree health. Two or .
more years of heavy defoliation can cause a severe reduction in growth and may cause .
considerable branch and twig damage. Normally, there is very little permanent damage to .
the tree because the trees can produce enough new leaves to carry on essential .
photosynthesis. The Tent caterpillars do weaken trees and they do make them more .
susceptible to attack from a variety of other pests or stresses, such as drought. During .
outbreaks, larvae can number from one to four million caterpillars per hectare. They .
create an extreme nuisance to people living or vacationing in forested areas.
Dealing with high populations can be very frustrating. They do not pose a health risk to .
humans, but the presence of hundreds of thousands of caterpillars can be very annoying.
