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hairmetal4ever

Odd pest making tents on trees

hairmetal4ever
10 years ago

So driving around, I've seen something that superficially resembles the common tent caterpillars that usually come in springtime. However there are some differences:

The tent caterpillars of spring usually make small silky tents but eat leaves nearby, defoliating a few branches on each tree, to some distance outside the tent, that later releaf. These show up usually in April and May.

This is different, they've just shown up the last couple weeks. They make a similar tent on branch ends, but don't appear to eat leaves, in fact even inside the tent, the leaves are there, but appear to be brown, as if girdled or cut off the petiole somehow but left inside the tent uneaten. The rest of the trees look fine.

These seem to really like walnut trees (almost every walnut around here has some on it) but also affect Platanus, Tilia, and a few other trees. Maples seem unaffected.

What are these?

Comments (2)

  • mulchmama
    10 years ago

    Probably fall webworms. See link.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Penn State Extension: Fall Webworms

  • nandina
    10 years ago

    An interesting aside in relation to this question. If one can locate a spring or fall webworm web close to the ground within easy reach take a few minutes for close observation. Starting at the web and moving toward the tree trunk you will note a very fine, hairline bit of the thread attached to the web and running along the top of the branch to the trunk. When the time arrives for the caterpillars to leave the web a 'scout' leaves first and travels this almost invisible thread to the trunk. It then returns to the web and signals its mates that the coast is clear. However, if that thread has been broken the caterpillars will remain in the web and die there. One can manually break this thread by rubbing a hand along the branch. For webs high in trees sometimes it is possible to destroy that thread with a hard stream of water directed along the branch. Don't spray the web itself, just the top of the branch holding the web.

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