Eastern Tent Caterpillar

Natural Habitat

Deciduous forests, parks, and suburban gardens across North America, particularly near host trees like cherry, apple, and crabapple.

Diet & Feeding

Herbivorous; they feed on the foliage of several species of trees, most notably Wild Cherry (Prunus), Apple (Malus), and sometimes Hawthorn or Peach.

Behavior Patterns

Larvae are social and construct communal silk 'tents' in the crotches of tree branches for protection. They leave the tent to feed at various intervals during the day and night before returning to shelter.

Risks & Benefits

They can significantly defoliate ornamental and fruit trees, though healthy trees usually recover. In horses, ingestion of these caterpillars by pregnant mares has been linked to Mare Reproductive Loss Syndrome (MRLS) due to the irritating hairs (setae).

Identified on: 4/6/2026