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What Do I Feed My Tent Caterpillar?

Tent caterpillars, named after their tent-shaped cocoons, are common in the United States and come in several different varieties, including the Eastern tent caterpillar and the forest tent caterpillar. They are usually black in color with a white stripe extending the length of their bodies. Oval-shaped blue dots line the stripe and other unique brown markings are usually present. They posses a layer of hair that looks like fuzz. Children often find these fuzzy insects near trees and try to keep them in insect habitats as pets. They are not harmful and will not bite. While keeping caterpillars alive in confined cages may not always work, feeding the insect the right kind of food will increase it's chances of survival.

Wild Cherry Tree Leaves
- Tent caterpillars, especially the Eastern variety, prefer feasting on wild cherry tree leaves. These leaves can be placed directly in the caterpillar's habitat for ingestion. Keep in mind that caterpillars love fresh leaves, not dried leaves, so be sure to replace the leaves every day or two.
Other Ornamental Fruit Tree Leaves
- While tent caterpillars prefer to forage on wild cherry tree leaves, they will gladly eat other types of other ornamental fruit tree leaves, such as apple, pear, peach, plum and crabapple. If you do not have access to an ornamental fruit tree, consider growing your own to provide food for your caterpillar. Research your area to find the best ornamental fruit tree for your area. For example, wild cherry trees need a location that does not have a long summer and also freezes during the winter, making these trees more suitable for a northern climate.
Shade Tree Leaves
- In regions of the country where ornamental fruit trees are not prevalent, these caterpillars will eat many types of shade tree leaves, such as oak, ash, birch, poplar and willow. These types of trees are common in most parts of the country and will be easily accessible to gather leaves for the tent caterpillar.
Gum Tree Leaves
- Gum trees such as black gum and red gum are also present throughout most of the United States. The leaves of this tree offer a great nutritional food source for tent caterpillars.

Insects & Science