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Forest Tent Caterpillar

Malacosoma disstria

Description:

In the Midsouth and in southern coastal States, it favors water tupelo, sweetgum, and swamp blackgum trees. They lay down strands of silk as they move over branches and travel along them like tightrope walkers. However, it has been shown that a trail pheromone secreted from the ventral surface of the posterior tip of the abdomen rather than the silk guides and stimulates trail following. There is one generation a year. Young larvae appear when the leaves are beginning to unfold. The time varies with weather and locality. With each successive molt, markings of pale bluish lines along the sides of a brownish body and a row of footprint-shaped, whitish spots on a black background become more evident. When full grown, caterpillars are about 2 inches (50 mm) long. Colonies stay together and move about in a file, following silk trails laid down by leaders; this one was by itself, with no others in sight.

Habitat:

The forest tent caterpillar may be found throughout the United States and Canada wherever hardwoods grow. It is a native insect that has attracted attention since colonial times.

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3 Comments

Maria dB
Maria dB 11 years ago

Just joined the mission, Keith, but strangely it doesn't appear under Global Missions when I look for it there.

Gerardo Aizpuru
Gerardo Aizpuru 11 years ago

Wow amazing!

KeithRoragen
KeithRoragen 11 years ago

Great series. Please consider adding this to the Caterpillars and Larvae mission.

http://www.projectnoah.org/missions/9420...

Maria dB
Spotted by
Maria dB

Pittsboro, North Carolina, USA

Spotted on Apr 13, 2012
Submitted on Apr 14, 2012

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