There are four types of tent caterpillars, however the most famous, the Forest Tent Caterpillar, doesn’t exactly live in a tent. The others – the Eastern, Western and Prairie Tent Caterpillar – consistent with their names spin tent-like webs for assurance during the larval stage. The Forest Tent Caterpillar is by far the most prevalent and widely distributed of the four species, happening from Nova Scotia to British Columbia.
The other three species likewise feed on different hosts; however prefer the leaves of cherry, apple, gooseberry, and willow trees to those of the poplars. Luckily, the caterpillars rarely kill trees inside and out, even when they totally strip them of foliage. Trembling aspen will at times refoliate the same year after a severe attack, utilizing buds initially implied for the coming up next spring’s development.