Does anyone know about Webworms/Tent Cats?

13 years ago

I have caterpillars forming loose webbing on the tips of my Baptisia australis var. minor, Blue Wild Indigo. Lots of them relative to the size of the plant. I thought these kinds of caterpillars only attacked trees???

The cats are yellowish/greenish with black and white markings. I will try to get a photo. Head is black as well. They are kind of colorful, but they are destroyihg my Wild Indigo. Definitely not WIDs.

I'm mainly just trying to confirm that webworms and/or tent caterpillars use other shrubs or forbs as hosts.

We have lots of insects this year. I was watering my beans this morning, and found two Salt Marsh cats mating on a leaf near the bottom!

Susan

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (11)

ladobe
13 years ago
Hi Susan,

Webworm is the common name most often associated with Hyphantria cunea (Arctiidae). While they are definitely polyphagous feeders, I donÂt think they use Fabaceae. Arctiidae was one of my specialties, but itÂs been years and it is a large group so I certainly donÂt remember everything. Even so I doubt thatÂs what you have.

The so called tent caterpillars are one of many Malacosoma species (Lasiocampidae). They are extremely polyphagous and use a very long list of plants (not just trees, but just about anything). Over the years IÂve seen them on dozens of different species of shrubs and bushes, flowers, vegetables and even a few herbs as well as a long list of trees. They are one of those "if I find it I will eat it" bugs. So my guess is you are dealing with one of the Malacosoma species. There ought to be lots of articles on control on the Internet at state AG sites.

BTW, how do Salt Marsh (Estigmene acrea) "caterpillars" mate? LOL ;)

Larry
0
susanlynne48
Original Author
13 years ago
Oops - my bad! I was so focused on trying to figure out what these darned larvae are on my Baptisia I failed to pay attention to what I was typing. Sorry....

Thank you for giving me something to at least start with on these other caterpillars. They feed approx. 2-4 to a the leaf tip of one branch and migrate down the tips to the older leaves, skeletonizing the leaves as they go. There are cobwebby type connections around the leaves, not a lot, and a few from one leaf tip group to another leaf tip group. Strangest things I've encountered. Will let everyone know when I figure it out.

Thanks for the help, Larry!

Susan
0
Related Discussions
does anyone know anything about Snapping turtles?
Q
Comments (18)
I remember when we were younger in Texas. We watched a big ole turtle walkin down the road towards Zeboes park. We walked along side it till it got to the main road then my twin sister and I each grabbed a side of the turtle's shell and picked it up. It just relaxed and enjoyed the ride. We heard a hissing when we first went to pick it up but after that it didn't make any noises at all. It was relaxed and non agressive at all. I suppose that is when I first fell in love with turtles. I have encountered a few agressive turtles but not many. I am very cautious of COOTERS tho. I am curious if that is a nickname for a certain type of turtle that is indigenous to South Carolina or if it is a real type of turtle? I guess I will just google it. I am not at all fond of water birds. Our experiences with water fowl has been more problematic than anything else. I have had ducks and geese chase and attack our daughters when they were toddlers. They would chase my daughters and take their bottles and any food they may have had in their hands or mouths. They have attacked my chihuahuas and my cats. I have seen small birds dive bomb my cats. Tho I must admit, it is quite comical to watch. Those little birds do damage to my four legged friends. I can't stand the bird droppings all over everything. Turtles are good. I could not imagine eating anything soooooooooo cute.
...See More
I don’t know what to do about my cat
Q
Comments (44)
I am crying as I read this. I am so sorry for your loss. You had a beautiful cat and friend. I had a similar situation with my soul mate Maddie. She was 15.5 years old and was miserable. She ate, drank, walked etc but she was not herself and I knew I could not let her live the way she was. I too posted here on this forum asking for advice. In doing so, it helped me come to the conclusion that was one I already knew but was having a hard time accepting. We put her down and I was sick with anxiety and sadness. It has gotten better over the months but everytime I see a sad story about a dog or one that even resembles her I get an ache in my heart. Luckily, those moments are becoming less. Stay strong. You had a wonderful friend who loved you and you loved back. You gave your cat a wonderful life. In my mind that is a gift. Huge hugs!
...See More
Anyone know a thing or two about the LED Grow Lights
Q
Comments (1)
Gut reaction: don't worry about it. I am not an expert. Way you can resolve this intellectual puzzle you (had) created for yourself:" How much UV light is reaching the "medieval tapestries"? Fortunately, this is a problem that has been solved many, many times before. Unfortunately, you need to do math. I plugged "light intensity calculator" into google and came up with this: https://sciencing.com/calculate-light-intensity-7240676.html. Note: when you do your calculations you need to calculate the UV led power, not total power of the light. To figure that out you'll need to use the light specs. They will list the number of UV diodes and there will be a listing of how much power each diode uses (take the average if it's not listed). This is the wattage you put into the light intensity calculation (I'm sure someone has made a calculator on the internet you can plug the numbers into). If you want just a superficial argument? Unless it's a super high power UV light, by the time it crosses any significant distance it won't have any 'effect' because it has scattered so much. Especially if it's getting indirect light. The UV portion is quite small of the total power. It might be 1/100th the power of sunlight if not lower (do the math if you care).
...See More
As you know, I like cats and have been feeding feral cats
Q
Comments (49)
In my experience with feral cats, If you crate a feral, (or even a domestic cat) they do much better if you cover the crate with a large towel or blanket. especially when transporting. I suppose I am fortunate to have a vet that has no problem neutering feral cats. (There is hope for Bob, Maryl) I have several formerly feral cats that are now inside cats...more notably Bella, Gus, and Bosky. Bosky sneaked out once after we brought him inside (he was injured by older dominate males and badly needed treatment). He then sneaked back inside that same day and has never attempted to leave again. We had him neutered while he was being treated for the leg wound, of course. I couldn't stand for the very feral but beautiful Bella to live as a feral cat and Bella has been an indoor cat for several years now. As it turns out, she would probably be dead otherwise since she had a tumor in her ear that was infected last year and she would have died without surgery.. The previously feral cats are very loving and seem to be happy as house cats. Of course then there is Gus. He was attacked by a pack of dogs and we took him to the vet where he was shaved and treated for his many wounds. DH said he wasn't going back outside after the rather expensive surgery, and Gus has never tried to escape the house. One other thing, after neutering, we put the feral cats in a large dog crate for recovery (put a little mulch or dirt on top of a small litter box and they will use it). We have water in the crate, of course, and feed them in it a couple times a day. After recovery, we free them and they have always stayed around as if nothing had happened. We kept Spatter in the crate until she weaned her kittens, then had her neutered, she had time to heal then was released. She stays around here still and eats here almost 2 years later. I must admit that I earn the Crazy Cat Lady title. kay
...See More
ladobe
13 years ago
Susan,

Yep, I fell into the common name trap and the old scant description without a picture trap that doesn't even get them to a family let alone genus. Assumed to much too, that with your experience you at least had them to Lasiocampidae and was just confusing the common names. With something like 2-3 dozen species of Malacosoma alone (most of which I've never seen) and their very variable larvae, I couldn't get them to species level in that genus anyway. Sorry I didn't help, but the control methods I mentioned should work on them no matter what they are.

Good luck,

Larry
0
susanlynne48
Original Author
13 years ago
Larry, I've come to the tentative conclusion that they are larva of Malacosoma disstria, Forest Tent caterpillars. Unlike their counterpart, the Eastern Tent caterpillars or Malacosoma americanus (?), the larva spin loose webs on the tips of foliage, and string single strands from one branch tip to another so they can easily move between branch tips. This brings to my mind a kinda of caterpillar "high wire" act. Kinda cute, doncha think? They have a wide degree of color variation in the caterpillars, and mine have yet to develop the "blue" line which is strongly indicative of the larva. I almost hate to destroy them because they have done such a beautiful macrame network of their webbing, LOL! It's been kind of fascinating to watch them.

You definitely pointed me in the right direction with what little info I gave you. I gave the camera I got to my daughter to take photos of the baby, so I ordered another one today and should have it in about a week. They may not be here by then, but if they are, I'll take a photo for a definite ID.

Thank you so much for your help. It is greatly appreciated!

Susan
0
annainok
13 years ago
Beauty has its place...but not in your plants--unless you planted them to be eaten! When it comes to web worms/tents, I figure they can thrive plenty of other places rather than my garden.

Anna
0
nursie
13 years ago
I had them bad in my mulberry tree and my yard guy cut the tree back instead of spraying. He didn't burn the branches either, he stacked them up for the city to clear away. Now I have HUGE caterpillars everywhere, it seems like there are millions of them. How can I get rid of them? Doesn't seem like the birds are eating them. Do they sting? My son thinks they're neat to look at but I don't want him being hurt.
0
butterflymomok
13 years ago
Susan,

Your larvae are Uresiphita reversalis, family: Pyralidae, common name Genista Broom Moth. I have them too. So does Lisa. You can see them on Bugguide. I posted a photo on bugguide and got a quick response. See Lisa's post for a photo. The moth is pink with yellow underwings--kind of pretty.

Sandy
0
Lisa_H OK
13 years ago
Ah, this must be a prolific year for the Genista Broom Moth if all three of us have them.

Hmmmm. I guess I'll leave them alone. They are stripping my baptisia though.

Anyone know of a reason I should interfere with them?

Lisa
0
annainok
13 years ago
We raise pecans, and this is shaping up as a bad year for us with variable rain and now an influx of caterpillars. They can cause extensive defoliation if allowed to remain unchecked, and potentially that threatens the health of the trees. So, for us, control is an important issue. BUT I have had my curiosity piqued, so I will be looking out to see what they actually are before making them go away!

Anna
0
susanlynne48
Original Author
13 years ago
Alas, I am doing really badly in the ID department this year. Thanks, guys.

Susan
0
nursie
13 years ago
Mine are Hyphantria cunea...how can I get rid of the caterpillars that are now everywhere? Help?
0

Does anyone know about Webworms/Tent Cats?

Comments (11)

ladobe

susanlynne48
Original Author

Related Discussions

ladobe

susanlynne48
Original Author

annainok

nursie

butterflymomok

Lisa_H OK

annainok

susanlynne48
Original Author

nursie

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Does anyone know about Webworms/Tent Cats?

Comments (11)

susanlynne48Original Author

Related Discussions

susanlynne48Original Author

susanlynne48Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

susanlynne48
Original Author

susanlynne48
Original Author

susanlynne48
Original Author