Tussock Moth Egg Mass Fragment

Natural Habitat

Found on the underside of leaves, tree bark, or vertical surfaces like walls and fences in wooded or residential areas.

Diet & Feeding

Larvae (caterpillars) that emerge are generalist herbivores, eating leaves from a wide variety of deciduous and evergreen trees.

Behavior Patterns

Eggs are laid in late summer or fall in protective clusters covered in a frothy, hardened secretion or hairs from the female's body to overwinter.

Risks & Benefits

While harmless as eggs, the caterpillars that hatch can be invasive pests that defoliate trees. They often possess 'urticating hairs' that cause skin irritation and allergic reactions in humans.

Identified on: 12/30/2025