Moths of North Carolina
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Family (Alpha):
« Home »
View PDFErebidae Members: Hyphantria Members: 427 NC Records

Hyphantria cunea (Drury, 1773) - Fall Webworm Moth


Hyphantria cuneaHyphantria cunea
view caption
Hyphantria cuneaHyphantria cunea
view caption
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea
Family:
Erebidae
Subfamily:
Arctiinae
Tribe:
Arctiini
P3 Number:
930319
MONA Number:
8140.00
Comments: The only member of its genus in North America. Two species, cunea and textor, have been recognized in the past (e.g., Brimley, 1938; Forbes, 1960), but only cunea is considered valid now (Hodges, et al., 1983).
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1960)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Forbes (1960); Wagner (2005)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Adults are white with variable amounts of black spotting. They are typically smaller but similar to Spilosoma species, also possessing yellow on fore-coxae and femora like all but S. latipennis. Particularly similar to S. congrua, with both possessing all white abdomens and overlapping in size. The antennal shaft of Hyphantria is typically black, however (at least in the typical form, Forbes, 1960), whereas it is usually white in Spilosoma species (Forbes also describes form textor of Hyphantria as having white shafts). Hyphantria are also usually smaller, slimmer, and occasionally much darker than Spilosoma.
Wingspan: 25 - 39 mm (Covell, 1984)
Adult Structural Features: Hyphantria only possess a single pair of tibial spurs (terminal) on the hind-legs instead of the two pairs found in Spilosoma (Forbes, 1960).
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from photos showing hindwings, abdomen, or other specialized views [e.g., frons, palps, antennae, undersides].
Immatures and Development: Larvae are social, building large communal webs that are quite conspicuous; unlike the Eastern Tent Caterpillars, which build their webs at branch crotches, Hyphantria larvae build theirs out on the tips of the branches. The larvae are highly variable in coloration, ranging from pale yellowish-green to dark gray (Wagner, 2005). Some of the hairs are extremely long, greater than 4-5 body segments in length (Wagner, 2005).
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Occurs statewide (Brimley, 1938)
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Hyphantria cuneaAlamance Alexander Alleghany Anson Ashe Avery Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick Buncombe Burke Cabarrus Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee Chowan Clay Cleveland Columbus Craven Cumberland Currituck Dare Davidson Davie Duplin Durham Edgecombe Forsyth Franklin Gaston Gates Graham Granville Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood Henderson Hertford Hoke Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnston Jones Lee Lenoir Lincoln Macon Madison Martin McDowell Mecklenburg Mitchell Montgomery Moore Nash New%20Hanover Northampton Onslow Orange Pamlico Pasquotank Pender Perquimans Person Pitt Polk Randolph Richmond Robeson Rockingham Rowan Rutherford Sampson Scotland Stanly Stokes Surry Swain Transylvania Tyrrell Union Vance Wake Warren Washington Watauga Wayne Wilkes Wilson Yadkin Yancey
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge
Image showing flight dates by month for High Mountains greater than 4,000 feet, Low Mountains, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain: adults.
Immature Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge
Image showing flight dates by month for High Mountains greater than 4,000 feet, Low Mountains, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain: immatures.
Flight Comments: Has three broods in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain but the pattern is less clear in the Mountains
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Wagner (2005) lists the habitats of this species as "yards and parks, fields, fencerows, woodlands, and forests." In North Carolina, it is found in most habitats that possess hardwood trees, including maritime and coastal fringe forests, sandhills, floodplains, mesic slopes, and dry ridges and summits.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae are polyphagous, but feed primarily on hardwood trees, unlike most other members of the Arctiinae, and have been recorded from over 400 species of hardwoods (Wagner, 2005). In North Carolina, we have observed it feeding on a wide range of hardwoods, including ash (Fraxinus), birch (Betula), blueberry (Vaccinium), cherry (Prunus), cypress (Taxodium), hawthorn (Crataegus), hickory (Carya), holly (Ilex), hornbeam (Carpinus), maple (Acer), mulberry (Morus), persimmon (Diospyros), privet (Ligustrum), redbud (Cercis), sourwood (Oxydendrum), sweetgum (Liquidambar), sycamore (Platanus), tupelo (Nyssa), walnut (Juglans), and willow (Salix). While females seem to have preferences for certain trees (such as Sweetgum) for oviposition, after the early communal feeding stages, larvae disperse and can be found eating pretty much any nearby tree (as well as some non-trees). We also have feeding records for Muscadine (Muscadinia rotundifolia), Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), blackberry (Rubus), and Peppervine (Ampelopsis arborea). - View
Observation Methods: Populations are easily detected by the communal webs made by the larvae. Adults come well to blacklights, with up to 90 being collected in a single trap. None have been recorded at bait.
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Hardwood Forests
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 SNR [S5]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: This species is abundant, widespread, and makes use of a wide variety of habitats across the state, including wooded residential areas. It appears to be quite secure.

 Photo Gallery for Hyphantria cunea - Fall Webworm Moth

204 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.
Hyphantria cuneaRecorded by: Raina Scura on 2025-06-10
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Hyphantria cuneaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-02
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Hyphantria cuneaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-02
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Hyphantria cuneaRecorded by: Simpson Eason on 2025-05-26
Durham Co.
Comment:
Hyphantria cuneaRecorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George on 2025-05-09
Cumberland Co.
Comment:
Hyphantria cuneaRecorded by: R. Newman on 2025-04-01
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Hyphantria cuneaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-03-26
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Hyphantria cuneaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-03-26
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Hyphantria cuneaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-03-24
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Hyphantria cuneaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-03-24
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Hyphantria cuneaRecorded by: R. Newman on 2025-03-04
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Hyphantria cuneaRecorded by: F. Williams, S. Williams on 2024-10-02
Bertie Co.
Comment:
Hyphantria cuneaRecorded by: David George on 2024-09-30
Durham Co.
Comment:
Hyphantria cuneaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-09-22
Randolph Co.
Comment:
Hyphantria cuneaRecorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2024-09-21
Madison Co.
Comment:
Hyphantria cuneaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-09-15
Orange Co.
Comment:
Hyphantria cuneaRecorded by: R. Newman on 2024-09-12
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Hyphantria cuneaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-09-05
Orange Co.
Comment:
Hyphantria cuneaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-09-02
Bladen Co.
Comment:
Hyphantria cuneaRecorded by: David George, Steve Hall on 2024-08-31
Chatham Co.
Comment:
Hyphantria cuneaRecorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2024-08-31
Orange Co.
Comment:
Hyphantria cuneaRecorded by: David George on 2024-08-29
Durham Co.
Comment:
Hyphantria cuneaRecorded by: R. Newman on 2024-08-28
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Hyphantria cuneaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-08-26
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Hyphantria cuneaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-08-26
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Hyphantria cuneaRecorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2024-08-20
Orange Co.
Comment:
Hyphantria cuneaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-08-09
Mitchell Co.
Comment:
Hyphantria cuneaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-08-09
Mitchell Co.
Comment:
Hyphantria cuneaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Stephen Dunn on 2024-08-02
Chatham Co.
Comment:
Hyphantria cuneaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-07-27
Rowan Co.
Comment: