Spongy Moth Caterpillar

A common caterpillar to pretty much everywhere. 
These caterpillars are found everywhere there are oak trees. Their most favored food is any of the oaks, but also feed on apples, sugar maple, beech, birch, and others in minimal portions. The heaviest damage is always done to Red Oaks. Several defoliations, (Usually 2 will do it) will kill a tree.
They are a rather large growing caterpillar, capable of reaaching up to 1-3" long. They are all black when young, but will develop 2 lines of red and blue dots. 6 pairs red, 5 pairs blue.
In July, these caterpillars will make a cocoon. Some may do so a little earlier at the end of June. They are in pupae stage for a few weeks, however captive moths pupate sooner. I had one I raised pupated and erupted as a moth in just 8 days. Female moths are white, much bigger, and do not fly. In fact they hardly move during their 5-7 day adulthood. Males are browner or tan, and do fly to reach a female. The female will then lay eggs on trees, trailers, houses, vehicles, fences... Anything they can reach and crawl on. I raised several of the caterpillars in my fish tank one year, and I got a female! Females emit a smell only moths can detect called pheromones, which will attract the male moths towards her. I got to see this front row. A day later I had eggs. The female releases a pretty big tannish, furry sack of eggs, which will survive winter. In April, the eggs hatch and the cycle begins again. 
=== Life Cycle- ===
In April, eggs from last years adults hatch. From April-June or July, these caterpillars are eating away at the host trees. In late June and early July, the Gypsys are pupating. Moths will erupt in late July and August. In the adult stage, they will lay a tan sack of eggs, that will hatch next April. Adult moths only live 3-7 days. Then next year‘s generation will do the cycle again.
A fungus that develops during rainy seasons parasites the caterpillars, eventually turning their gut to mush. They die and become very messy. It is called 
☀Entomophaga maimaiga-
=== Infestations ===
infestations are not common with Gypsys but when they do, damage can be in the $ millions. Gypsy’s can kill thousands of oak trees in an infestation. It seems as infestations only happens once every 10-15 years or so... we’ll major infestations that is. Minor ones can occur any year. Major infestations as we saw can last for several years, as seen with 2016, 2017, and 2018. That’s 3 years of trees being defoliated . infestations are most likely during dry springs. Wet springs trigger the virus named above to Infest the caterpillars. The virus does a good job most years keeping gypsy moths at a reasonable population to be able to enjoy them. 
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They are the most common caterpillar here. 
They are the easiest caterpillar to raise
I have raised 4 generations
They are not native, but come from Europe.
Their damage risk is very high.
Have not found any in 2020. 
2022 featured a name change to this species, now being referred as Spongy Moth. New name likely refers to the egg masses. 
Category:Caterpillars
Category:Nature