Recent studies in New York showed that such damage can be of a permanent nature because branches are killed, thus reducing the sugar producing capacity of the bush. This is particularly true if defoliation is followed by excessively high temperatures, drought or disease. This species will also attack fruit trees. These caterpillars produce the conspicuous silken tents commonly seen in the spring on branches of favored host trees. The tents consist of numerous layers of dense silk webbing which contain much excrement and numerous molted skins.
Males are smaller.
The front wings of each are crossed by two whitish, oblique, parallel lines. The head and body are generally deep black. There is a white stripe along the back of the body and a row of oval, pale blue spots on each side. There are many short, irregular brownish markings on the side of each body segment. Long, fine, light brown hairs sparsely clothe the body.