Moths of North Carolina
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
 Family (Alpha):
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View PDFLasiocampidae Members: 187 NC Records

Malacosoma disstria Hübner, 1820 - Forest Tent Caterpillar Moth


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Taxonomy
Superfamily: Bombycoidea Family: LasiocampidaeSubfamily: LasiocampinaeTribe: LasiocampiniP3 Number: 870014.00 MONA Number: 7698.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA                                                                                 
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge
Immature Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Woodlands and Forests (Wagner, 2005). North Carolina records come from hardwood forests, ranging from Maritime Forests to Northern Hardwoods.
Larval Host Plants: Polyphagous, feeding on many hardwood trees and shrubs (Wagner, 2005). In swamp forests that are flooded during the winter, one of its natural control agents -- a Tachinid fly -- is greatly reduced and the populations of the moth can reach defoliating proportions. Water Tupelo is particularly heavily attacked, becoming stripped of leaves over 100s of acres.
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Hardwood Forests
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 S5
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Malacosoma disstria - Forest Tent Caterpillar Moth

57 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.

Recorded by: tom ward on 2021-06-17
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Michael P. Morales on 2021-06-07
Cumberland Co.
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Recorded by: Michael P. Morales on 2021-06-07
Cumberland Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: K. Sanford on 2021-05-25
Camden Co.
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Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2021-05-21
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2021-05-20
Durham Co.
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Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2021-05-20
Onslow Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-05-20
Wake Co.
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Recorded by: Jennifer Smith on 2021-05-19
Cumberland Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2021-05-19
Guilford Co.
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Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-05-19
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-05-15
Wake Co.
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Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-05-14
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2021-04-23
Brunswick Co.
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Recorded by: Evelyn and Simpson Eason on 2021-04-22
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-06-26
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Salman Abdulali on 2020-06-07
Pitt Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-06-01
Guilford Co.
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Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2020-05-30
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Steve Hall on 2020-05-28
Orange Co.
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Recorded by: Owen McConnell on 2020-05-25
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-05-25
Guilford Co.
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Recorded by: Owen McConnell on 2020-05-24
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2020-05-16
Onslow Co.
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Recorded by: Salman Abdulali on 2020-05-15
Pitt Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2020-05-07
Onslow Co.
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Recorded by: Morgan Freese on 2020-04-27
New Hanover Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Erich Hofmann on 2020-04-22
Craven Co.
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Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2020-04-21
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2020-04-21
Onslow Co.
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