#fall webworm

[moths-daily]

I do not think you have done this one yet, but can you do the Fall Webworm Moth? They are the reason I love moths so much now ^^

Moth Of The Day #138

Fall Webworm

Hyphantria cunea

From the erebidae family. They have a wingspan of approximately 30 mm. They are native to North America but have also been introduced to Asia.

[t00thpasteface]

how much for that wormy in the window

[lunarlotuscove]

An adorable Fall webworm makes their way around (these dudes are FAST)

Monday September 2nd 2024 11:00am

[alyss-erulisse]

White Fuzzy Caterpillar on Grass

Fuzzy white bristles glint in the light of the sun as this fall webworm caterpillar ventures up a blade of grass.

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[libraryofmoths]

Moth of the Week

Fall Webworm

Hyphantria cunea

The fall webworm is in the family Erebidae. Described by Dru Dury in 1773, this moth is known for creating webbed nests as caterpillars and living in them until the pupa stage. They are considered pests in some areas due to their tendency to defoliate trees while feeding as larva and are known as an invasive species in East Asia.

Description Adult moths are mostly white in color with white legs that are black/brown and white in color. The top two legs are orange on the segment closest to the body. Under the eyes are patches of the same orange color and on occasion there are orange spots on the abdomen. In the north, the wings are completely white while in the south, the wings are speckled with brown or black spots.

Average wingspan: 38.5 mm (≈1.5 in)

Diet and Habitat The fall webworm feeds on just about any type of deciduous tree and can defoliate entire beaches or trees. In the eastern U.S., these moths prefer pecan trees, black walnut, American elm, hickory, fruit trees, persimmon, and sweetgum. In the west, alder, willow, cottonwood and fruit trees are commonly eaten. Adult moths do not feed.

This species is native to North America, ranging from Canada to Mexico, was introduced into other continents in the 1940s, and has since then spread. First recorded in 1949, this moth was introduced to the former nation of Yugoslavia and spread from France to the Caspian Sea and further into central Asia: Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and southeastern Kazakhstan. When introduced to Japan in 1945, it spread to generations per year since its arrival.[5] It spread into China, southern Mongolia, Korea and southern Primorsky Krai of Russia. Now it is considered holarctic, meaning found in almost all regions of the Northern Hemisphere.

Mating The mating season starts in late June and lasts until early July. In the northern part of North America, this species has one generation per year. The larvae hatch and live in late summer through early fall. In the south, which is cons to be under an approximate latitude of 40°N, there are two or more generations annually and nests appear progressively earlier the further south you go. Male fall webworms are typically only available for mating for about 30–60 minutes per day. This moth even shows a form of fall parental behavior. The female will try to protect the eggs after oviposition by covering her newly laid eggs with her abdomen hairs. Females lay the eggs on the underside of the host plants’ leaves in groups of about 100.

Predators The fall webworm has many predators such as Monomorium minimum, Vespula spp., Coleomegilla maculata, and Rogas hyphantriae.This species is parasitized by around 50 species, such as the flies Musca domestica and Muscina stabulans, and parasitic wasps such as Chouioia cunea and Therion morio. There are also several species of microsporida (unicellular spore parasites) such as Nosema necatrix Kramer, Weiser, and Nosema bombycis that are harmful. This species is also harmed by several viruses such as granulovirus and nucleopolyhedrosis virus. The caterpillars protect and defend themselves by shaking and jerking together, giving off a repellant scent, and irritants on their hairs or spines.

Fun Fact The fall webworm is a social insect as groups of caterpillars live in spun nests made from webs. These webs have many benefits like finding of mates, temperature regulation, increased growth rate, and protection from predators. However they also result in higher rates of infections and predation.

(Source: Wikipedia, USDA Forest Service, Missouri Department of Conservation)

@turkeygamemaster

[onenicebugperday]

@oftengruntled​ submitted: I found this caterpillar perched on the very end of a branch. It was odd behavior to me, do you know what this little one was doing? Was it house hunting for a good place to metamorphose? If an id would help, this was found in northern Virginia

Plenty of caterpillars spend time in trees! This isn’t unusual at all. Especially because this looks like a fall webworm moth caterpillar, and they make communal silk nests in trees, primarily towards the ends of branches where they feed. They go to the base of trees to pupate in the bark or leaf litter.

[that-dumb-moth]

Found her on my window last night. Don't know the species but I believe she may be a fall webworm.

[poduromorpha]

I <3 my 100 infants

[alcnfr]

A Fall Webworm moth caterpillar (Hyphantria cunea) meandering across the chicken coop roof....

[jonnysinsectcatalogue]

Fall Webworm Caterpillar - Hyphantria cunea

Following up from an earlier post that featured pictures of this soft-bodied, bristly insects, here you can see the extent of how much the tree is coated in silk. Since they've hatched, these Caterpillars have been quite busy in securing themselves and snacking, and the webbing is the bridge in between. Any plants webbed up have their leaves eaten (first the surface of the leaf, and then the leaf itself as the Caterpillars grow), and the silk house will grow. As the Caterpillars explore the tree they have hatched on, it's only natural that they would find more suitable spots to wrap in silk. In this video, the scale of web house production and density is quite evident. I'm not sure which part of the tree was settled on first, but there are multiple safehouses in use by these young wrigglers. Do note, however, while the Caterpillars are making use of the tree (feeding, excreting and living on it), the overall health of the tree is relatively good. Many leaves and branches are left intact and there is little/no damage to the trunk. After the Caterpillars have left to pupate, if the leaves can be free of silk, then they can fully recover. As such, this insects aren't as much of a pest as one would think.

Video was recorded on July 1, 2024 with a Google Pixel 4.

[eon-bug-collection]

bugs from todayyy

[sharpilu]

Saw your request for stuff to draw with your tablet charger dead

What about a fluffy moth?

Those are always cute

OvO ass bitch

anyways, korn i want you to know when i saw this ask i had already put all my stuff away (after finishing a thing that'll be posted tomorrow) but i IMMEDIATELY grabbed it all again to draw this little guy. enjoy your fall webworm moth. i love her

[theymightbebipeds]

Privileged & honored to host a H. cunea brood in my front yard right now. Got home from dinner to find a writhing crop of yellow beaftes in the awaiting me!

[hemelytra]

fall webworm moth

[alyss-erulisse]

White Wandering Webworm

A fall webworm wanders among the bark and grass, its fine, white bristles spreading out like a starburst from its segmented back.

See more of my work: Check out my archive.

Join me on my journey: Follow me on tumblr.

Support my creative life: Buy me a coffee on KoFi.

[wildflowers-of-southern-ontario]

Fall Webworm Moth Hyphantria cunea Erebidae

Photographs taken on August 13, 2023, at Pinery Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada.