Forest tent caterpillar

Malacosoma disstria Hübner

Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae

Distribution: Most fruit-growing states and provinces in eastern North America.

Photos

Larvae have long, silky hairs with a row of elongated spots along the back. Therese Arcand, Nat. Res. Canada
B

Adults are reddish brown with two brown, transverse-parallel bands (A). Masses of shiny black eggs are laid in a ring around twigs. Larvae have long silky hairs on their body and a row of elongated spots along the back (B).

Crops Affected: apples, peaches, plums

Damage

Attacks apple, peach, and plum. Defoliation of infested branches occurs within a few days.

Management

Physical control of the colonies by removal of larvae from trees; remove egg masses when detected while pruning. Localized intervention on the most severely infested trees. Economic infestations can be controlled by the use of selective (e.g., Bacillus thuringiensis) or broad-spectrum insecticides.

Similar Species

The eastern tent caterpillar [Malacosoma americanum (Fabr.)] adult has white bands rather than brown. The larva has a yellow line on the back. Only the eastern tent caterpillars build silken tents between the branches of infested trees.