Eastern Tent Caterpillar Moth
Malacosoma americanum (Fabricius, 1793)
Family: Lasiocampidae
Subfamily: Lasiocampinae
Identification: Body and wings warm fawn brown. Forewing with white am. and pm. lines. Median area sometimes white.
Wing Span: 2.2-4.4 cm.
Life History: Larva feed on many plants and are a serious defoliating pest. They can be easily recognized by the characteristic white webbing ("tents") larvae spin in forks of trees and shrubs in the spring. When full-grown, larvae leave host trees and disperse to form loose cocoons in protected places where they pupate. Infestations tend to be cyclic in severity, worsening for several years until populations crash to low levels.
Flight: Late May-June.
Caterpillar Hosts: Apple and cherry trees, flowering crabapples, and other members of the rose family.
Adult Food:
Habitat:
Range:
Conservation:
NCGR:
Management Needs:
Comments: NULL
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 756 verified sightings
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Observation date: Jul 11, 2024
Submitted by: Val89
Region: Schoharie County, New York, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Jul 31, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/20240711_070008.jpg?itok=2CLeHCC4)
Observation date: Jul 11, 2024
Submitted by: Val89
Region: Schoharie County, New York, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Jul 31, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/20240712_051834_1.jpg?itok=kiQl71c9)
Observation date: Jul 12, 2024
Submitted by: dnight30
Region: Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 23, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/rick6513-eastern_tent_caterpillar_moth.jpg?itok=bsGg8Y-9)
Observation date: Jul 14, 2024
Submitted by: RStankiewicz
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 16, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/malacosoma-americana-david-trently-4.jpg?itok=3JDWT0Sw)
Observation date: Jun 29, 2024
Submitted by: David Trently
Region: Wayne County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 16, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_6412.jpeg?itok=PMP6XznH)
Observation date: Jun 01, 2024
Submitted by: pk
Region: Morris County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 10, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/rick6234-eastern_tent_caterpillar_moth.jpg?itok=CXJxFvLl)
Observation date: Jul 01, 2024
Submitted by: RStankiewicz
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 09, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/rick6126-eastern_tent_caterpillar_moth.jpg?itok=DzCm77_C)
Observation date: Jun 25, 2024
Submitted by: RStankiewicz
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 09, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/rick6194-eastern_tent_caterpillar_moth.jpg?itok=auSPxRH9)
Observation date: Jun 30, 2024
Submitted by: RStankiewicz
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 09, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/rick6144-eastern_tent_caterpillar_moth.jpg?itok=nwWmMY73)
Observation date: Jun 25, 2024
Submitted by: RStankiewicz
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 08, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/20240625_235555.jpg?itok=Fz-Ywb1l)
Observation date: Jun 25, 2024
Submitted by: rocksnstars
Region: Oxford County, Maine, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Jul 07, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dsc04699_0.jpg?itok=h4GMBb9j)
Observation date: Jul 03, 2024
Submitted by: Sometimes
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 04, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/po_unknown_37.jpeg?itok=BfcXYdtj)
Observation date: Jun 21, 2024
Submitted by: Jim Lowe
Region: Tompkins County, New York, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Jun 22, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dsc03689.jpg?itok=HH4Pl54g)
Observation date: Jun 18, 2024
Submitted by: Sometimes
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jun 19, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_2825_1.jpeg?itok=-S6E9kzx)
Observation date: Apr 08, 2024
Submitted by: alexthegreat
Region: Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jun 17, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/malacosoma_americana_20240612.jpg?itok=h2tdaM8R)
Observation date: Jun 12, 2024
Submitted by: jwileyrains
Region: Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 13, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/eastern_tent_caterpillar_moth_malacosoma_americanum_jtf_7664.jpg?itok=JLr9rcGD)
Observation date: May 24, 2024
Submitted by: John Terpstra
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: May 25, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/_dsc0032a.png?itok=drKeE0Gp)
Observation date: May 21, 2024
Submitted by: DBlackmer
Region: Richmond, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 21, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/malacosoma_americana_240518_jf_img_7895.jpg?itok=xzwfI0wp)
Observation date: May 18, 2024
Submitted by: Bob Jacobson
Region: Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 21, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_20240518_220039615.jpg?itok=LubvovAX)
Observation date: May 18, 2024
Submitted by: BendyK
Region: Putnam County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: May 19, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/eastern_tent_caterpillar_moth_malacosoma_americana_c_sylvan_rd_edgefield_co_bamona_inat_051224.jpg?itok=wh_FgZho)
Observation date: May 12, 2024
Submitted by: Ken Cheeks
Region: Edgefield County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: May 17, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/screenshot_20240508_121842_inaturalist.jpg?itok=iApQiVTH)
Observation date: Apr 28, 2024
Submitted by: Steven Wilson
Region: Preston County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: May 08, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_4543.jpeg?itok=CoWt7dZ5)
Observation date: Apr 16, 2024
Submitted by: Team-Chick
Region: Virginia, York County, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Apr 26, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_20240423_134325874.jpg?itok=Ko5ARhI7)
Observation date: Apr 23, 2024
Submitted by: speele
Region: Pickens County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 24, 2024
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