Lee’s River: Caterpillars that bite just when they fall on you? Nasty!

the tent caterpillars up in Canada used to bite something fierce when they fell from a leaf and landed on your neck. So arched back like cats, and sharp little mandibles, too.

Tent caterpillars are fond of most fruit trees, I think, and like gypsy moths with oaks, will spill over into less-preferred species during peak outbreaks.

Peter – Our last couple springs have been cool but dry here. Two years ago we had a big tent caterpillar ourbreak in many parts of the northeast – you may remember Rachel Barenblat writing about it at Velveteen Rabbi.

Glad to hear your hike went so well, and good on you for helping introduce kids to the outdoors.

Sometimes, I wish I were a turtle.

…deb – Glad you liked the post. I gather that there are a number of different species of tent caterpillars world-wide, but I’m only familiar with the eastern. We also have fall webworms, though. Several years ago – 2004, I think – they turned our western ridge completely white with their webs in August.

We’ve got tents here, in the Pacific Northwest. I see their structures in the summer, though, in the Columbia Gorge. Now I’ll be looking for them and will have a better eye, and idea.

The Scouts and I hiked six miles on the Appalachian Trail yesterday and got wind, sunshine, and then thunderstorms with heavy rain. It was nice to be outdoors.

I think the turtle was winking at you.

The tent caterpillars around here like the cherries, but they also seem to thrive on black locust and elm.

David – Please don’t mistake me for a snake expert. I do think most snakes swim, though. It’s always such a surprising sight to me.

(Glad you’re finding the comment editing feature helpful. I think I’ve about reached the point of plugin saturation – if i add any more, I’ll have to take some out to avoid slowing the site down too much. But that’s one I’ll definitely leave alone.)

Hmm… I’d send you a photo if I had your E-mail address… (one of these days I will get onto Flickr, really!)

Which is more likely to go swimming? We first spotted the smaller of the snakes actually swimming in the river. (I think it was the same — I found them basking, by heading in the same direction the swimmer had left by.) The swimming posture was interesting — mouth wide open at water level, with only the top jaw above water. In retrospect, I think he was hunting water striders, which were plentiful.

Also, the two snakes were different sizes – the smaller one was darker, with less red in his markings.

PS: Thank you again for setting up the comment-editing plugin!

bev – Thanks. Yeah, I imagine it is pretty widespread.

Dethier mentions “five different species of coarse, hairy tachnid flies” as caterpillar parasites, in addition to several species of wasps. Direct predators include ants and shield bugs.

David – Wow, you’re really ahead of us! Of course, we did get that hot spell at the end of April, which may have sped things up a little too much considering how the weather turned after that.

Young black snakes are also patterend a bit like milk snakes.

maria – Glad you enjoyed it.