Lasiocampidae

Lasiocampidae is a family of moths whose larvae are often hairy and may live communally in silk tents or webs. Adults commonly have stout, densely scaled bodies.

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Lepidoptera: The insect order comprising moths and butterflies, whose adults have scale-covered wings. Lasiocampidae is one family within this order.
Communal web: A shared silk structure made by multiple larvae, often used for shelter and protection. Some lasiocampid caterpillars occupy shared webs while feeding or resting.
Forest tent caterpillar: The larva of Malacosoma disstria, a North American moth that forms communal silk mats rather than a persistent tent. It demonstrates that a familiar lasiocampid need not build a lasting tent.
Malacosoma disstria: A North American lasiocampid moth whose larvae periodically defoliate broadleaf forests. Its population outbreaks make this family relevant to forest monitoring.
Lymantriinae: A subfamily of erebid moths that includes many hairy caterpillars and several forest pests. Its hairy larvae can resemble lasiocampids, but the groups belong to different families.
Moth: A lepidopteran insect commonly distinguished from butterflies by traits including antennae and resting posture. The family belongs to the broad, informal group called moths.
Tent caterpillar: A moth larva that lives with siblings in a communal silk tent, often in a tree’s branches. Tent-building species illustrate the family’s conspicuous social larval habits.
Eastern tent caterpillar: The larva of Malacosoma americanum, a North American moth that builds conspicuous silk tents in tree forks. Its branch tents are a clear example of communal shelter-building in the family.
Malacosoma americanum: A North American lasiocampid moth whose caterpillars feed on cherry and other trees and shrubs. Its conspicuous tents can affect ornamental trees and prompt pest-control decisions.
Saturniidae: A family of large moths that includes silkmoths and many species with striking adult wings. Both families contain robust moths, but Saturniidae is a separate lineage.