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Friday, May 17, 2013

Tent Caterpillars

We get these every year at this time.  I think they're equally really cool and really gross.

I'd heard them called bagworms, but they're not actually bagworms. 

They're tent caterpillars, Malacosoma americana. They especially like our choke cherry trees - and there are tents in every one of them.  They grow up to be moths.  Here are a bunch of pics of the adult moth.

I think they're pretty with the sun shining through the tents.  At least until they get full of frass [poop].  Then it's just disgusting.