MPG (species pages only) MPG (entire website) Entire Web

Digital Guide to Moth Identification

Lasiocampidae 870014 – 7698   Malacosoma disstria Hübner, 1820              Forest Tent Caterpillar

Photographs are the copyrighted property of each photographer listed. Contact individual photographers for permission to use for any purpose.

© Jo McGavin Large Map & Chart Report Errors About Maps

Larva and Host Plants: Host familiy: Aquifoliaceae Betulaceae Cornaceae Ericaceae Fabaceae Fagaceae Hamamelidaceae Juglandaceae Malvaceae..  Host genera: Abies Acer Alnus Amelanchier Arctostaphylos Betula Carpinus Carya Cornus Corylus Crataegus Cydonia F...  Host extended: many other woody plants (Wagner 2005); generalist hardwood feeder (Crabo et al 2014); deciduous tree...  (Kimberley & Douglas 2025) Similar Species: Pinned specimens of related species. (Hint: select View by Region on the related species page.) Synonymy: disstria Hübner, 1820 (Malacosoma) - MONA 1983: 7698; TL: Georgia. anita Reiff, 1913 (Malacosoma); TL: Concord, Massachusetts. astriata Reiff, 1913 (Malacosoma); TL: Lincoln, Massachusetts. drupacearum (Boisduval, 1868) (Bombyx); TL: Georgia. erosa (Stretch, 1881) (Clisiocampa); TL: [Portland, Oregon]. nubilis (Guérin-Méneville, 1832) (Chelonia); TL: l'Amerique septentrionale. perversa (Neumoegen & Dyar, 1893) (Clisiocampa); TL: [Portland, Oregon]. sylvatica (Harris, 1841) (Clisiocampa); TL: Massachusetts. sylvaticoides (Neumoegen & Dyar, 1893) (Clisiocampa); TL: [Portland, Oregon]. thoracioides (Neumoegen & Dyar, 1893) (Clisiocampa)

References (Caution: DNA barcoding at BOLD provides evidence of relatedness, not proof of identification; some BOLD specimens shown may not be sequenced.)

Barcode of Life (BOLD) - Caution: Identifications often erroneous; DNA barcode provides evidence of relatedness, not proof of identification; many specimens not sequenced. Factsheet at Florida Featured Creatures. Franclemont, J. G., 1973. Moths of America North of Mexico, Fascicle 20.1: p. 72; pl. 9.13-16. order or free PDF Powell, J. A. & P. A. Opler, 2009. Moths of Western North America, Pl. 37.10m; p. 235. Book Review and ordering Shropshire, K.J. & D.W. Tallamy, 2025. Lepidoptera of North America, north of Mexico: an annotated list containing geographic ranges and host-plant records. ZooKeys, 1261: 101-113; Suppl. 1. (PDF or read online) Species Page at Block Island Moths Species Page at BugGuide.Net Species Page at Mass Moths Species Page at Pacific Northwest Moths Species Page at iNaturalist Species page at Moths of North Dakota.

© John Himmelman © John Davis © D. Lynn Scott © Nolie Schneider © Bob Patterson

© Jason Roberts 28mm – © Jim Vargo 28mm – © Jim Vargo - sylvaticoides - Lectotype - LG – (cc) U.S.N.M. - anita - Syntype - LG – (cc) U.S.N.M. - perversa - Holotype - LG – (cc) U.S.N.M. - thoracicoides - Lectotype - LG – (cc) U.S.N.M.

© Jerry Armstrong LG © Giff Beaton LG on Alder © Canadian National Collection LG © Bob Moul © Jason Dombroskie © Nolie Schneider © Nolie Schneider © John G. Franclemont CUIC LG © John G. Franclemont CUIC LG © Jason Dombroskie eggs © Canadian National Collection LG © Valerie G. Bugh

Moth Photographers Group  at the  Mississippi Entomological Museum  at the  Mississippi State University

Send suggestions, or submit photographs to Webmaster — Moth Photographers Group

Database design and scripting support provided by Mike Boone