Forest Tent Caterpillar Moth (Malacosoma disstria)

About Forest Tent Caterpillar Moth (Malacosoma disstria)

• Kingdom: Animals
• Phylum: Arthropods
• Class: Insects
• Order: Butterflies and Moths
• Family: Lappet Moths

The forest tent caterpillar moth is a moth found throughout North America, especially in the eastern regions. Unlike related tent caterpillar species, the larvae of forest tent caterpillars do not make tents, but rather, weave a silky sheet where they lie together during molting. They also lay down strands of silk as they move over branches and travel as groups along these pheromone-containing silk trails. The caterpillars are social, traveling together to feed and massing as a group at rest. Group behavior diminishes as the caterpillars increase in size, so that by the fifth instar (molt) the caterpillars are feeding and resting independently.

Source: Wikipedia