Common name: Delicate cycnia or dogbane tiger moth, Fishers Island NY, June 2017

Scientific name: Cycnia tenera

Season: Two generations in the Northeast, with adults in late spring into June and again in the fall.

Food: Caterpillars feed on milkweeds and dogbanes, but they feed on older, mature leaves, as opposed to monarch caterpillars, which feed on younger, tender leaves.

Ecology: Although lacking stripes or spots, this moth belongs to same family as tiger moths. Males emit a “clicking” sound from their thorax for mating and also in flight. These clicks actually “jam” the echolocation of bats, preventing predators from being able to effectively find the moths.

Common Name: Eastern tent caterpillar moth

Scientific Name: Malacosoma americana

Season: One generation, with caterpillars appearing first in April into late May, and adults by June.

Food: Caterpillars feed primarily on cherry trees, but may build nests on apple and crabapple as well.

Ecology*: As the name implies, the caterpillars of this moth form a silken nest in the crotch of tree branches, where caterpillars rest and molt. Caterpillars that leave the nest “scout” for leaves to feed from, dragging a trail of silk behind them that other caterpillars will follow. When the caterpillars reach their final molt, they leave the nest to pupate, and may be found several plants away from their actual host plant.

*Contrary to popular belief, a nest of tent caterpillars in your cherry tree will not outright kill the plant, and within a month’s time, trees recover. Adults produce a spongy mass of eggs on twigs of their host plant, which will overwinter.

Common Name: Eastern tent caterpillar moth

Scientific Name: Malacosoma americana

Season: One generation, with caterpillars appearing first in April into late May, and adults by June.

Food: Caterpillars feed primarily on cherry trees, but may build nests on apple and crabapple as well.

Ecology*: As the name implies, the caterpillars of this moth form a silken nest in the crotch of tree branches, where caterpillars rest and molt. Caterpillars that leave the nest “scout” for leaves to feed from, dragging a trail of silk behind them that other caterpillars will follow. When the caterpillars reach their final molt, they leave the nest to pupate, and may be found several plants away from their actual host plant.

*Contrary to popular belief, a nest of tent caterpillars in your cherry tree will not outright kill the plant, and within a month’s time, trees recover. Adults produce a spongy mass of eggs on twigs of their host plant, which will overwinter.

Common name: Eyed paectes, Fishers Island, NY, June 2017

Scientific name: Paectes oculatrix

Season: There are multiple generations of eyed paectes in the Northeast, with adults present by April through the fall.

Food: As caterpillars, they feed exclusively on poison ivy.

Ecology: Eyed paectes hold their abdomens upward while resting, which, in this photo, makes it appear as if they are T-shaped.

Common name: Giant Leopard Moth

Scientific name: Hypercompe scribonia, Fishers Island NY. June 2017.

Season: One generation a year in the Northeast, with adults in June, caterpillars through the summer and over the winter, then turn into pupae the following spring.

Food: A variety of broadleaf plants, such as dandelions and violets.

Ecology: A large moth, with a wingspan of three inches, lives up to its name, having many spots akin to a leopard. It has a beautiful metallic blue and orange abdomen hiding beneath its large wings. Mating sessions last more than 24 hours. When startled, the moth may emit yellow drops of liquid from the sides of its body. This is believed to be a defense against predators (who might taste the liquid and find the moth disgusting!).

Common name: Grapeleaf skeletonizer, Fishers Island NY, June 2017

Scientific name: Harrisina americana

Season: At least two generations in the Northeast.

Food: Adults feed on grape leaves and the nectar of many flowers.

Ecology: Caterpillars are gregarious feeders (i.e., feed together in large groups) and are able to defoliate grapes, eating grape leaves down to the stems. They can be occasional pests in the Northeast, especially for vineyards. Otherwise, they are a welcome addition to the forest.

Common name: Gray-edged hypena, Fishers Island NY, June 2017

Scientific name: Hypena madefactalis 

Season: One generation per year, adults common by June.

Food: As caterpillars, the gray-edged hypena feeds exclusively on walnut, and in the Northeast, black walnut (Juglans nigra) is its favorite.

Ecology: The gray-edged hypena, like many moths and caterpillars, are specialist feeders, meaning they depend on only one or two kinds of plants to survive.