Forest Tent Caterpillar, Malacosoma disstria Hübner (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae)

The forest tent caterpillar, Malacosoma disstria Hübner, is the most widely distributed indigenous tent caterpillar in North America (Furniss and Carolin 1977). The forest tent caterpillar has been recognized as an important defoliator of a wide variety of deciduous hardwood trees throughout its ra...

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Main Author: James R. Meeker
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: The University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries 2004-03-01
Series:EDIS
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Online Access:https://journals.flvc.org/edis/article/view/110433
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author James R. Meeker
author_facet James R. Meeker
author_sort James R. Meeker
collection DOAJ
description The forest tent caterpillar, Malacosoma disstria Hübner, is the most widely distributed indigenous tent caterpillar in North America (Furniss and Carolin 1977). The forest tent caterpillar has been recognized as an important defoliator of a wide variety of deciduous hardwood trees throughout its range for many years (Batzer and Morris 1978). Although this univoltine insect is called a tent caterpillar, it is unlike other Malacosoma species in that the larvae do not construct tents. Instead, forest tent caterpillars spin silken mats on the trunks and large branches where they congregate to molt or rest from feeding. Larvae also deposit silk in strands along which they travel to and from feeding sites. The caterpillars themselves are relatively harmless to people (i.e., they do not bite or sting) although a few people have an allergic reaction to handling them. This document is EENY-184 (originally published as DPI Entomology Circular 385), one of a series of Featured Creatures from the Entomology and Nematology Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Published: January 2001.  EENY-184/IN341: Forest Tent Caterpillar, Malacosoma disstria H�bner (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae) (ufl.edu)
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spelling doaj-art-f3e872a63a774bc39e650dda0e579b502025-02-08T06:27:58ZengThe University of Florida George A. Smathers LibrariesEDIS2576-00092004-03-0120044Forest Tent Caterpillar, Malacosoma disstria Hübner (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae)James R. Meeker The forest tent caterpillar, Malacosoma disstria Hübner, is the most widely distributed indigenous tent caterpillar in North America (Furniss and Carolin 1977). The forest tent caterpillar has been recognized as an important defoliator of a wide variety of deciduous hardwood trees throughout its range for many years (Batzer and Morris 1978). Although this univoltine insect is called a tent caterpillar, it is unlike other Malacosoma species in that the larvae do not construct tents. Instead, forest tent caterpillars spin silken mats on the trunks and large branches where they congregate to molt or rest from feeding. Larvae also deposit silk in strands along which they travel to and from feeding sites. The caterpillars themselves are relatively harmless to people (i.e., they do not bite or sting) although a few people have an allergic reaction to handling them. This document is EENY-184 (originally published as DPI Entomology Circular 385), one of a series of Featured Creatures from the Entomology and Nematology Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Published: January 2001.  EENY-184/IN341: Forest Tent Caterpillar, Malacosoma disstria H�bner (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae) (ufl.edu) https://journals.flvc.org/edis/article/view/110433IN341
spellingShingle James R. Meeker
Forest Tent Caterpillar, Malacosoma disstria Hübner (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae)
EDIS
IN341
title Forest Tent Caterpillar, Malacosoma disstria Hübner (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae)
title_full Forest Tent Caterpillar, Malacosoma disstria Hübner (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae)
title_fullStr Forest Tent Caterpillar, Malacosoma disstria Hübner (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae)
title_full_unstemmed Forest Tent Caterpillar, Malacosoma disstria Hübner (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae)
title_short Forest Tent Caterpillar, Malacosoma disstria Hübner (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae)
title_sort forest tent caterpillar malacosoma disstria hubner insecta lepidoptera lasiocampidae
topic IN341
url https://journals.flvc.org/edis/article/view/110433
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