Found them while trying to see if the fly/wasp I sent matches any of their sawflies. This looks a lot like the “Butternut Wooly Worm” images on bugguide. Your second caterpillar is a Gypsy Moth Caterpillar.Ĭorrection: () Strange White Caterpillar from Oil City Pennsylvania The Cornell University Biological Control website has a photo of an infected Gypsy Moth Caterpillar. The Gypsy Moth Fungus, Entomophaga maimaiga, is an important biological control of this invasive species, and you can read more on the Country Gardener. In trying to research Fungus attacking Caterpillars, we found references to a fungus, Entomophaga maimaiga, that is host specific on Gypsy Moth Caterpillars, but it does not resemble the Fungus in the image you have provided. BugGuide has a big section on Fungus riddled Flies, but not one for caterpillars. It is difficult to determine the species of caterpillar from your photo. Your white caterpillar is, we believe, infected with Fungus that will probably kill it. The third picture I believe is the Gypsy Moth Caterpillar but just wanted to double check. I was hoping you could tell us what it is. There were 4 of them and I cannot seem to find it anywhere on your website or the rest of the Internet. Recently my fiance and I found this caterpillar (the first two pictures) on a small tree in our backyard in Oil City (Northeastern) Pennsylvania. First, I must say I love your website and check it regularly. I am resending this letter in hopes that you can help me identify the caterpillar we found in our backyard. I emailed you last week but just realized that you requested the location of the bugs found. Native American tribes in the black walnut’s home territory (PA to GA and stretching as far west as Texas) made use of this versatile tree by using the dye from the husks to color baskets and used the oil to cook corn and beans.Strange White Caterpillar from Oil City Pennsylvania The nuts are prized by humans and animals alike for their taste and health benefits. The wood of the black walnut is prized for its dark, rich luster and is used for the finest of woodworking projects and veneers. The current champion on the Virginia Big Tree Registry lives in Westmoreland County and tops out at 104 feet and a canopy spread of 55 feet. They can reach a height and width of 50-75 feet (though some older trees can be even larger in the right growing conditions, towering up to 100 feet). However, it is the non-native plants which are most affected by this natural defense mechanism as they share no evolutionary history with the tree – other native shrubs and understory species grow fine in proximity to walnut trees. The roots contain juglone, an allelochemical which retards growth of competing plants under the canopy. The walnut is known for its allelleopathy. In the fall, the foliage turns a bright yellow, creating a pleasant splash of color, particularly when growing en masse.Įcologically, in addition to the butternut woolly worm, they support more than 100 species of Lepidoptera. Given sufficient room to grow, they are very beautiful trees in each season. Walnuts have not typically been a first choice in landscape design but they have an interesting strength of form, particularly in the winter months. ![]() Too, the walnut husk contains a dye that stains almost anything it comes into contact with – like cement sidewalks and asphalt. For this reason, they are probably not the best choice around parking areas as a vehicle could sustain a substantial dent should the nuts hit with sufficient force. However, walnut tree placement takes a bit of planning in the landscape as the nuts with their husks can reach 4” in diameter. Walnut trees could be planted in a highly visible area solely for the opportunity to spot these delightfully peculiar grubs. They have outbreak years when more defoliation occurs but they do not tend to pose a significant health risk to their host species. Sawflies are related to bees and wasps but don’t sting. This little oddity feeds on walnut, hickory and butternut leaves and is the larvae of a sawfly (Eriocampa juglandis). A more applicable name would be the coconut flake worm as it looks like a strange type of sugary confection with delicate, snow-white tendrils that move in the lightest breeze. Ranking near the top of the naturalist’s what-the-heck-is- that list is a very strange creature called a butternut wooly worm. These butternut wooly worm larvae were seen along the Town of Washington, VA nature path in July 2015
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