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The caterpillars are mostly found in oak trees or on the ground under them in late spring and early summer, and do not live on fences, walls, etc. as other caterpillars do. They have very long, white hairs contrasting markedly with shorter hairs. [1] The caterpillars of several other species may be mistaken for the oak processionary. [3]
The larvae (or caterpillars) emerge in April and initially eat the buds of oak trees and young leaves inside them. [ 1 ] [ 6 ] When fully grown, the larvae are between 25 and 29 millimetres (0.98 and 1.14 in) long with a body that can be yellow-green or darker shades of green.
The caterpillar is a serious pest that attacks more than 30 crops. The larva bores into the trunk or branches about 15–25 cm deep. The tunnel created is empty in the day time, but is filled with caterpillar during the night. It damages the bark of the tree resulting in dieback of the stem. Frass is visible in affected areas. [4]
Rabbits and rodents can cause injury to the thin bark and twigs of young trees. When snow covers food sources normally sought during winter, these animals often move into home lawns in search of food.
As a consequence, a colony of caterpillars produces large quantities of frass. This is particularly noticeable during outbreaks of the forest tent caterpillar. Frass dropping from treetops in which the caterpillars are feeding create the auditory illusion of rainfall. Tent caterpillars typically have five to six larval instars. It is estimated ...
The trees in Fort Worth survived a hot and dry summer, but are now under attack from creepy crawlies. It was a long blistering summer for the trees. The last times Fort Worth saw heat this intense ...
Larvae prefer oak trees, but may feed on many species of trees and shrubs, both hardwood and conifer. [ 6 ] : 16 In the eastern US, the gypsy moth prefers leaves of oaks, aspen , apple , sweetgum , speckled alder , basswood , gray birch , paper birch , poplar , willow , and hawthorns , among other species. [ 26 ]
The caterpillar's head is slightly notched in the middle, possibly due to evolutionary pressures to resemble twigs in appearance. [7] The larvae are found from spring to fall feed on a variety of deciduous trees including oak (Quercus spp.), elm (Ulmus spp.), hazel (Corylus avellana), aspen (Populus tremula) and alder (Alnus glutinosa). [2] [9]