Fall Webworm Caterpillar

Description:

Fifth instar caterpillar with a black head, yellowish sides, and a dark dorsal stripe. Its body was covered with long, white setae arising from tubercles located along the sides.

Habitat:

Spotted on vegetation along the side of a river in a mostly deciduous forest.

Notes:

This species occurs throughout North America, although there are distinct physical differences between the northern and southern populations. Furthermore, the number of generations per year depends on latitude. The southern populations are multivoltine and may complete four generations per year, while northern populations are univoltine, completing only one life cycle per year.