Malacosoma californica “Western Tent Caterpillar” Lasiocampidae
Drinking Horse Mountain, Bozeman, MT
June 3, 2015
Robert Niese
Normally, tent caterpillars live in large groups in the safety of their silk “tents,” but this individual appears to have wandered off on its own. Often, after defoliating all the foliage on their first tent-plant, caterpillars will seek out food on nearby trees. But this individual looks really big and I suspect that it is seeking some quiet place to metamorphose into an adult moth. Learn more about these awesome moths here.
Happy National Moth Week!
Northwest Naturalist 