The forest tent caterpillar moth (Malacosoma disstria) is a moth found throughout North America, especially in the eastern regions. Unlike related tent caterpillar species, the larvae of forest tent caterpillars do not make tents, but rather, weave a silky sheet where they lie together during molting. They also lay down strands of silk as they move over branches and travel as groups along these pheromone-containing silk trails. The caterpillars are social, traveling together to feed and massing as a group at rest.
Forest tent caterpillars
![A forest tent caterpillar](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7cef094/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1760x1084+0+0/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb5%2F2a%2F74891c294e30a99dacae5ca26c48%2Fforest-tent-caterpillar-25.jpg)
Greg Hume
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