Tent-caterpillar
Guides
Aleiodes malacosomatos
Tent Caterpillar Mummy Wasp
Aleiodes malacosomatos is a parasitoid wasp in the family Braconidae, first described by Mason in 1979. The common name "Tent Caterpillar Mummy Wasp" reflects its parasitic relationship with tent caterpillars (Malacosoma spp.), a genus of lappet moths. Like other members of the genus Aleiodes, this species is a koinobiont endoparasitoid that develops inside living caterpillars, eventually killing and mummifying the host. The species is part of a diverse genus of mummy-wasps that have gained scientific and public attention for their distinctive biology and, in some cases, celebrity-inspired species names.
Leschenaultia exul
Leschenaultia exul is a tachinid fly that parasitizes tent caterpillars, particularly the forest tent caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria) and eastern tent caterpillar (Malacosoma americana). Females locate hosts using olfactory cues from larval aggregation pheromones and frass volatiles, combined with visual cues such as silk trails and larval aggregations. The species deposits macrotype eggs directly onto host larvae and is considered an important biological control agent of forest tent caterpillar populations in North America.
Lophocampa argentata
Silver-spotted Tiger Moth
Lophocampa argentata, the silver-spotted tiger moth, is a univoltine moth species in the family Erebidae, native to western North America. Caterpillars are densely hairy with distinctive black and yellow hair tufts and feed on conifer needles, particularly Douglas-fir. Adults have reddish-brown wings marked with silvery spots. The species has been documented forming larval colonies in forest canopies and can cause noticeable defoliation of host trees.
Malacosoma californica
Western Tent Caterpillar Moth, Western Tent Caterpillar
Malacosoma californica, the western tent caterpillar, is a moth species in the family Lasiocampidae found in western North America. The larvae are social caterpillars that construct conspicuous silken tents in host trees and shrubs. They undergo cyclical population outbreaks and are significant defoliators of various woody plants. The species overwinters as eggs and completes one generation per year.
Malacosoma constricta
Pacific tent caterpillar
Malacosoma constricta, the Pacific tent caterpillar, is a moth species endemic to western North America, recorded from California, Oregon, and Washington. The species is specialized on oaks (Quercus spp.) as larval hosts. Two subspecies are recognized in California: M. c. austrinum occurs from Santa Barbara County southward, while M. c. constrictum occurs from Los Angeles County northward. The larvae construct small silken tents for group living and thermoregulation, feeding gregariously on oak foliage.
Malacosoma incurva
Southwestern Tent Caterpillar Moth
Malacosoma incurva is a tent caterpillar moth native to the southwestern United States. Adults have a wingspan of approximately 27 mm. The larvae construct silken tents and feed on specific host plants including Fremont cottonwood, willows, and Prunus species. The species was first described by Henry Edwards in 1882 and is distinguished from related eastern and western tent caterpillars by its restricted geographic range.
Malacosoma tigris
Sonoran Tent Caterpillar
Malacosoma tigris, the Sonoran tent caterpillar, is a tent caterpillar species in the moth family Lasiocampidae. It is one of several North American Malacosoma species that construct silken tents on host plants. The species is distinguished by its distribution in the southwestern United States and Mexico. Like related tent caterpillars, it exhibits social larval behavior and undergoes complete metamorphosis with egg, larva, pupa, and adult stages.
Yponomeuta malinellus
Apple Ermine, apple ermine moth
Yponomeuta malinellus, the apple ermine moth, is a small ermine moth native to Europe and Asia that has become established in North America. It is a specialist pest of Malus (apple) species, with larvae that feed gregariously within silken tents and can cause significant defoliation. The species has been extensively studied as a target for classical biological control, with multiple parasitoid species introduced to manage outbreaks.