Malacosoma californicum, the western tent caterpillar, is a moth of the family Lasiocampidae. It is a tent caterpillar. The Western Tent Caterpillar is found in southern Canada, the western United States, and parts of northern Mexico. There are currently six recognized subspecies of M. californicum. [1] . The westerntentcaterpillar, Malacosoma californicum (Packard) (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae), is a defoliator of broadleaf trees and shrubs throughout much of the western United States, southern Canada and parts of northern Mexico (Fig. 1). The western tent caterpillar attacks a wide range of hosts including apple, peach, plum, cherry, pear, wild rose, poplar and willow. The forest tent caterpillar prefers maple but will also feed on the foliage of most types of fruit trees.See full list on treefruit.wsu.eduEggThe egg is elongated and about 1/25 inch (1 mm) long. Eggs are laid in masses of as many as 400. The masses are covered with a brownish gray material that protects them from the weather.LarvaThe fully grown western tent caterpillar larva is about 2 inches (50 mm) long and covered with fine, soft yellowish brown hairs. The body is pale blue-gray on the sides with a distinctive light stripe down the middle of its back and bluish spots to either side of the mid-line. The fully grown forest tent caterpillar larva can be distinguished from the western tent caterpillar by the row of wedge- or club-shaped cream spots down its back in place of the stripe.PupaThe pupa is brown and about 3/4 inch (19 mm) long. It is enclosed in a silken cocoon of loosely woven white silk, which is commonly dusted over with a fine yellowish powder.See full list on treefruit.wsu.eduTent caterpillars have one generation each year. Tent caterpillars overwinter as eggs, which hatch in spring when new foliage starts to appear. The young larvae move to a crotch and spin a dense web. This web gradually expands as the larvae grow and the feeding area required to sustain the colony increases. Larvae mature in 4 to 6 weeks and by mid-...See full list on treefruit.wsu.eduLarvae of a single tent caterpillar colony can strip the leaves from a small tree if allowed to develop and are more of a threat in nurseries or newly planted orchards. On larger trees they are only a serious problem if there are several colonies on the same tree. While fruit is not directly attacked, fruit on branches that have had leaves consumed...See full list on treefruit.wsu.eduTent caterpillars are attacked by numerous natural enemies, including birds, predaceous beetles and bugs, and parasitic wasps and flies. They are at times devastated by outbreaks of bacterial or viral diseases, especially if local populations become extremely dense. The potential for biological control of tent caterpillars is great and probably acc...See full list on treefruit.wsu.eduSmall tents of the western tent caterpillar can be pruned and removed from the orchard. Spot treatments with insecticides are also a viable option for control.See full list on treefruit.wsu.edu Four species of tentcaterpillars occur in Colorado. The westerntentcaterpillar (M. californicum) most often is seen infesting aspen and mountain-mahogany during May and early June. Many other plants, particularly fruit trees, may also be infested. Westerntentcaterpillar, Malacosoma californicum, larvae are reddish brown with some blue spots and covered with tufts of orange to white hairs. Larvae spin large, silken webs on leaves and twigs and feed on foliage mostly within tents. Westerntentcaterpillars in southwestern British Columbia, Canada, were found to fluctuate in 6-11 year cycles (Myers, 2000). Damage from westerntentcaterpillar is considered primarily aesthetic and not damaging the vitality of the trees. Are there tent caterpillars in Colorado?During summer, large loose tents produced by the fall webworm ( Hyphantria cunea) are seen on the branches of cottonwoods, chokecherry, and many other plants. Occasionally early spring outbreaks of caterpillars of the tiger moth ( Lophocampa species) attract attention. Four species of tent caterpillars occur in Colorado.What is the life cycle of a tent caterpillar?The lifecycle of tent caterpillars begins with mating. Adult moths, which are light brown with faint light wavy bands on their wings, emerge about two weeks after pupation 1. The adult moths are responsible for mating and reproducing in order to ensure the continuation of the species.What is a tent caterpillar?The largest and most obvious "tents" belong to a voracious leaf-eating caterpillar called the western tent caterpillar, adolescent form of the western lackey moth ( Malacosoma californicum ). There are several different species of tent caterpillars that live in North America. A large complex of natural enemy species feeds upon west-erntentcaterpillar and, together with unfavorable weather and foliage depletion, regulates population size. Four species of tentcaterpillars occur in Colorado. The westerntentcaterpillar (M. californicum) most often is seen infesting aspen and mountain-mahogany during May and early June. Many other plants, particularly fruit trees, may also be infested. Westerntentcaterpillar, Malacosoma californicum, larvae are reddish brown with some blue spots and covered with tufts of orange to white hairs. Larvae spin large, silken webs on leaves and twigs and feed on foliage mostly within tents. Westerntentcaterpillars in southwestern British Columbia, Canada, were found to fluctuate in 6-11 year cycles (Myers, 2000). Damage from westerntentcaterpillar is considered primarily aesthetic and not damaging the vitality of the trees. A large complex of natural enemy species feeds upon west-erntentcaterpillar and, together with unfavorable weather and foliage depletion, regulates population size.
