The hind wings are lighter brown, without crosslines. A dark brown tuft of hair covers the back of the thorax. Immature larvae are reddish-brown, with narrow cream colored lines that extend the length of their body. Larvae feed in groups but do not form webs. They are capable of eating all the leaves on small trees or on individual limbs of large trees.
Moths emerge in the spring and deposit white eggs in masses on the undersides of leaves.
In preparation for molting, the caterpillars move down to a large limb or to the trunk and form a compact mass. After shedding their skins, they migrate back toward the ends of branches and resume their feeding. Caterpillars molt several times during development. The first generation appears in June and July, and the second generation in late August and September.