For example, caterpillar development may be complete in Alabama by the time activity begins in Canada. The eastern tent caterpillar is common and often abundant in Alabama. It is among the first insects to break winter dormancy and become active in the spring. Data on this common tent-maker and its activities have been accumulated at the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station at Auburn over several years. The following is a description of the insect, and its general habits and seasonal cycle as commonly occurring in Alabama.
Moths are chocolate brown to tan-brown.
Forewings are crossed by a pair of white or yellowish-white lines. On some moths, the color of the narrow area between these lines may be lighter than that of the rest of the wing. Hindwings are chocolate brown. Twenty-five egg masses on black cherry in Lee and Macon counties were collected and examined. Typical eastern tent caterpillar egg masses are easy to recognize and usually unmistakable on most hosts.