Brown-tail moth caterpillars emerging from the egg mass.
Female brown-tail moth. The brown hairs on the abdomen are shed when the moth oviposits, covering the egg mass. Photo credit Wikimedia Commons by Joaquim Alves Gaspar.
Brown-tail moth oviposting. The eggs are hidden under the brown, felt-like covering.
ADULT EMERGENCE AND OVIPOSITION
The adults emerge from cocoons that the last instar caterpillar constructs in latter half of June. The cocoons are often spun in leaves at the ends of branches. The moths emerge from the cocoons in July and mate and oviposit soon thereafter. The stage for larval sociality is set by the adult which deposits its eggs in a egg mass which it covers with the brown hairs of its abdomen. The egg masses typically contain 200-400 eggs which hatch in about 3 weeks.
Neonate caterpillars of the browntail moth on their egg mass.
