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The infestation can be recognized by the light brown caterpillar droppings, which appear in bark cracks. Preference is given to old trees and those weakened by annual tree pruning. The caterpillars pupate within the feeding tunnels, but adult caterpillars have also been found on dried leaves, which indicates that they also leave the feeding ...
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 reason it happens is because bark is a dead tissue that can’t expand as a tree’s trunk grows larger. All it can do is pop off in pieces and fall to the ground.
The caterpillar's head is slightly notched in the middle, possibly due to evolutionary pressures to resemble twigs in appearance. [6] 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]
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.
The caterpillars are considered a problem when the larva population explodes in the spring. They can completely consume the foliage of a tree. Trees usually recover from this, refoliating within a month and resuming photosynthesis. Under most circumstances, little lasting damage is caused to the trees; however, the disappearance of foliage is ...
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 ]