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can cause large scale defoliation of trees. The caterpillars are considered by many to be a problem when they reach outbreak population sizes. However, outbreaks of larvae are considered to be more of a nuisance than a problem and does not negatively affect forest health because trees are able to regrow leaves quickly. Human suppression of western tent caterpillars is most successful when intervening before high population numbers are reached. The exact cause of population outbreaks is not truly understood, but a combination of many factors are believed to play a role in population fluctuations such as
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422:
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445:. Increased temperatures has shown to increase the prevalence of this virus. NPV can be transferred from parent to offspring or from individuals that come into physical contact. Additionally, caterpillars can contract NPV by coming in contact with silk strands from other larvae. NPV infections does not always kill the caterpillar and survival is much more likely in late instar caterpillar. NPV infected caterpillars have reduced
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Western tent caterpillars have strong ecological interactions with their host plants. The time of caterpillar egg-hatch is closely timed with host plant bud-burst to ensure that early instar larvae are able to feed on leaves. However, caterpillars can hatch up to two weeks before or after tree's buds
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are caused when population sizes of larvae reach their highest levels. Population outbreaks of western tent caterpillar occur in cycles every 6–11 years. Severe outbreaks can cause defoliation of host trees however, most trees will grow their leaves back quickly. Outbreaks of western tent caterpillar
364:
Western tent caterpillar larvae are generalist herbivores, feeding on leaves. However, diet preference is heavily dependent on geographical location. The tree in which a female deposits the eggs is where the larvae will choose to feed. The most common host plants that caterpillars feed on are leaves
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and remain as a family in silken tents. Aggregations of caterpillars help discourage predation, increase temperature, and facilitate foraging. During late instars, caterpillars get larger and require more food resulting in more solitary behaviour. Whereas early instars will feed socially, using
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are 2-2.5 centimeters and reddish-brown to black in colour. Pupae spin a white silken cocoon, powdered in white and yellow. Adults have wingspan between 3.5-5 centimeters. Moths are brown, yellow, tan or grey, with two lighter or darker lines crossing the body.
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disease play significant roles in controlling population sizes of western tent caterpillars As populations of western tent caterpillar increase the prevalence of the disease increases and causes the subsequent crash of a population.
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The mature
Western Tent caterpillar pre-pupa is 4-5 centimeters long. The caterpillars are black, grey, or white with an orange stripe running longitudinally across the body. There are blue-white lines on each segment with dispersed
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proportions, where populations reach very high numbers and large scale defoliation occurs. Severe outbreaks can cause defoliation of host trees however, damage to trees is minimal and most trees will grow their leaves back quickly.
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asynchrony between host tree and the western tent caterpillar, characterized by advancing larval emergence. This does not appear to have significant effects on caterpillar larvae fitness because larvae are resistant to starvation.
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pheromones to direct others to food, during the final instar caterpillars begin to forage independently. Caterpillars flick their heads in response to the sound of fly parasites, as a defensive mechanism.
890:
Safraz, Rana; Cory, Jenny; Myers, Judith (2013). "Life-History
Consequences and Disease Resistance of Western Tent Caterpillars in Response to Localised, Herbivore-Induced Changes in Alder Leaf Quality".
1024:
Cory, Jenny; Myers, Judith (2009). "Within and between population variation in disease resistance in cyclic populations of western tent caterpillars: a test of the disease defence hypothesis".
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441:(NPV) is a virus that affects insects, mainly butterflies and moths. NPV has shown to decrease fitness and cause death. The body of larvae that die from NPV become thin and
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by basking in the sun and staying in close groups to elevate body temperature. Increasing body temperature helps accelerate development time of caterpillars.
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Barnes, Elizabeth; Gosnell, Sarah; Hallagan, Claudia; Otten, Keelia; Slayter, Lainey; Murphy, Shannon (2016). "Performance of
Western Tent Caterpillar (
699:
Mitchell, Russel (1990). "Seasonal
History of the Western Tent Caterpillar (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae) on Bitterbrush and Currant in Central Oregon".
1219:
1059:
Thompson, W.A.; Vertinsky, I.B.; Wellington, W.G. (1981). "Intervening in pest outbreaks: simulation studies with the western tent caterpillar".
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sired by multiple males. A single band of eggs is laid around the circumference of the branch. A single egg band can contain hundreds of eggs.
385:, therefore they do not produce their own body heat and are heavily influenced by environmental temperatures. Larvae are thought to
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and will spend a large portion of their time with other caterpillars in silken tents constructed during their larval stage.
473:. However, NPV is believed to play the largest role in the boom-and-bust of population outbreak cycles. Outbreaks of NPV
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Moths will mate in mid-summer. Male-male competition will ensue for females. Females are polyandrous and lay a clutch of
726:
Moore, Lynn; Myers, Judith; Eng, Rex (1988). "Western Tent
Caterpillars Prefer the Sunny Side of the Tree, but Why?".
62:
1237:
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Myers, Judith; Smith, James (2011). "Head flicking by tent caterpillars: a defensive response to parasite sounds".
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772:
Myers, Judith (2000). "Population fluctuations of western tent caterpillars in southwestern
British Columbia".
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324:. Adult moths will preferentially lay their eggs on the sunny side of their host trees. Eggs will lay in
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over the winter and hatch the following spring. Population sizes of western tent caterpillar can reach
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655:"The Effects of Experimental Warming on the Timing of a Plant-Insect Herbivore Interaction"
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960:"Multiple Mating and Family Structure of the Western Tent Caterpillar,
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Franklin, Michelle; Ritland, Carol; Myers, Judith; Cory, Jenny (2012).
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Kharouba, Heather; Vellend, Marc; Sarfraz, Rana; Myers, Judith (2015).
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larvae near Saint Mary Lake in the East
Kootenays of British Columbia
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Ciesla, William; Ragenovich,Iral (2008). "Western Tent
Caterpillar".
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trees. However, larvae will feed on many other types of tree
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Franklin, Michelle; Myers, Judith; Cory, Jenny (2014).
289:. The Western Tent Caterpillar is found in southern
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301:. There are currently six recognized subspecies of
373:. Adult moths do not eat and live for 1–4 days.
1284:Fauna of the California chaparral and woodlands
855:"Thermal Ecology of Western Tent Caterpilalrs
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859:and Infection by Nucleopolyhedrovirus"
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813:Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society
491:it is predicted that there will be a
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1289:Taxa named by Alpheus Spring Packard
514:Malacosoma californicum californicum
570:Forest Insect & Disease Leaflet
506:Malacosoma californicum ambisimile
224:Clisiocampa fragilis var. perlutea
14:
535:Malacosoma californicum pluvialis
527:Malacosoma californicum lutescens
305:. Western tent caterpillars are
1061:Researches on Population Ecology
1038:10.1111/j.1365-2656.2008.01519.x
962:Malacosoma californicum pluviale
905:10.1111/j.1365-2311.2012.01404.x
876:10.1046/j.1365-2311.2002.00460.x
857:Malacosoma californicum pluviale
543:Malacosoma californicum recenseo
61:
964:: Impact on Disease Resistance"
519:Malacosoma californicum fragile
701:Journal of Economic Entomology
487:have burst. Due to effects of
381:Western tent caterpillars are
312:Western tent caterpillars are
1:
989:10.1371/journal.pone.0037472
614:10.1371/journal.pone.0096679
530:(Neumoegen & Dyar, 1893)
928:Canadian Journal of Zoology
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439:Nuclear polyhedrosis virus
227:Neumoegen & Dyar, 1893
1026:Journal of Animal Ecology
659:Journal of Animal Ecology
346:extruding from the body.
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58:Scientific classification
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28:
24:Western tent caterpillar
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1106:iNaturalist.org page on
297:, and parts of northern
275:western tent caterpillar
1294:Moths described in 1864
1176:Malacosoma-californicum
1166:Malacosoma_californicum
1137:Malacosoma californicum
809:Malacosoma californicum
672:10.1111/1365-2656.12328
270:Malacosoma californicum
200:Clisiocampa californica
192:Clisiocampa californica
167:Malacosoma californicum
1279:Moths of North America
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232:Clisiocampa ambisimile
1098:Bugguide.net page on
893:Ecological Entomology
863:Ecological Entomology
825:10.18473/lepi.70i4.a5
713:10.1093/jee/83.4.1492
424:
240:Clisiocampa pluvialis
216:Clisiocampa thoracica
208:Bombyx pseudoneustria
434:Nucleopolyhedrovirus
248:Clisiocampa fragilis
149:M. californicum
980:2012PLoSO...737472F
605:2014PLoSO...996679F
1073:10.1007/bf02514091
786:10.1007/pl00012002
774:Population Ecology
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1246:Open Tree of Life
1129:Taxon identifiers
1114:Youtube video of
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16:Species of insect
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259:Neumoegen, 1893
256:Clisiocampa mus
211:Boisduval, 1868
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1207:iNaturalist
780:: 231–241.
383:ectothermic
337:Description
115:Lepidoptera
1274:Malacosoma
1268:Categories
552:References
546:Dyar, 1928
500:Subspecies
403:gregarious
367:stonefruit
314:univoltine
307:gregarious
285:. It is a
243:Dyar, 1893
235:Dyar, 1893
136:Malacosoma
95:Arthropoda
1067:: 27–38.
899:: 61–67.
482:Phenology
475:Epizootic
467:predators
458:Outbreaks
453:Outbreaks
447:fecundity
393:Behaviour
195:Packard,
143:Species:
81:Kingdom:
75:Eukaryota
1183:BioLib:
1173:BAMONA:
1152:Q1936827
1146:Wikidata
1046:19220564
1008:22655050
968:PLOS ONE
913:86568249
794:14703541
681:25535854
633:24858905
593:PLOS ONE
330:outbreak
326:diapause
320:and lay
318:copulate
183:Synonyms
121:Family:
91:Phylum:
85:Animalia
71:Domain:
1081:7798127
999:3360058
976:Bibcode
833:4957934
748:3565313
624:4032236
601:Bibcode
463:weather
443:liquidy
425:Female
371:foliage
355:Biology
277:, is a
174:Packard
131:Genus:
111:Order:
105:Insecta
101:Class:
38:larvae
1251:140034
1238:151313
1225:117545
1199:MALACL
1186:694808
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576:: 1–8.
469:, and
399:instar
397:Early
299:Mexico
291:Canada
273:, the
176:, 1864
52:Adult
1212:55963
1077:S2CID
909:S2CID
829:S2CID
790:S2CID
744:JSTOR
728:Oikos
471:virus
365:from
348:Pupae
344:setae
1233:NCBI
1220:ITIS
1194:EPPO
1042:PMID
1004:PMID
677:PMID
629:PMID
416:eggs
360:Diet
322:eggs
279:moth
1161:ADW
1069:doi
1034:doi
994:PMC
984:doi
936:doi
901:doi
871:doi
821:doi
782:doi
736:doi
709:doi
667:doi
619:PMC
609:doi
574:119
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