EASTERN TENT CATERPILLAR II
Our Caterpillar of the Week is the Eastern Tent Caterpillar -- Malacosoma americanum. Many of us are familiar with the spongy egg masses of the Eastern Tent Moth, which often encircle branches of wild black cherry trees. However, few realize that even as the snow comes down and temperatures plunge below zero, hundreds of tiny caterpillars are already fully formed within these masses, snug inside their individual egg shells. Tent caterpillars develop shortly after their eggs a
EASTERN TENT CATERPILLAR I
Our Caterpillar of the Week is painted with brilliant blue and yellow, is flamboyant and impossible to ignore, and is arguably the most social living caterpillar in the whole world -- it is the misunderstood, despised, and embattled Eastern Tent Caterpillar, Malacosoma americanum. Eastern Tent Caterpillars have a horrible reputation. After all, in some years they occur in such incredible numbers that they can strip the cherry, apple, and other fruit trees of a region bare. Ev
FILAMENT BEARER
This week's Caterpillar of the Week: The aptly named "Filament Bearer" - Nematocampa resistaria. About a year ago, the internet went crazy over a video of a strange and tropical caterpillar from the depths of uncharted Amazonia. This caterpillar, with bizarre hydraulic tentacles that expand and contract, was presented as evidence for the incredible diversity and overall strangeness of the creatures lurking in our planet's hard-to-reach and unexplored regions. Well... The cate
THE JOKER II
Feralia jocosa - "The Joker" Mossy Sallow Moths. A very variable species. These beauties are among the first moths that arrive at our lights each spring. The females will lay eggs if held for one night and soon we will be raising their equally stunning caterpillars in the lab. We featured this species as a "Caterpillar of the Week" some time ago, but did not have images of the adults at that time. Enjoy! --Sam Jaffe
TCL Director
