Eastern Tent Caterpillar

Natural Habitat

Found in wild and ornamental fruit trees, such as cherry, apple, and crabapple, primarily in the eastern United States and southern Canada.

Diet & Feeding

Larvae feed on the leaves of host trees, primarily members of the Rosaceae family like cherries and apples.

Behavior Patterns

Larvae are social and construct silk 'tents' in the crotches of tree branches where they congregate at night and in rainy weather. They leave the tent to feed several times a day and eventually migrate down to the ground to pupate.

Risks & Benefits

They can significantly defoliate trees, which may stress young or unhealthy plants but rarely kills healthy mature trees. To humans, they are nuisance pests; however, the hairs can cause skin irritation in some individuals. They are beneficial as a food source for various birds and small mammals.

Identified on: 4/6/2026