Walnut Caterpillar
From Bugwoodwiki
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USDA Forest Service. 1979. A guide to common insects and diseases of forest trees in the northeastern United States. Northeast. Area State Priv. For., For. Insect and Disease Management., Broomall, PA. p. 123, illus.
The walnut caterpillar feeds on the foliage of walnut, butternut, pecan, hickory, and several other species. The larvae feed in colonies, usually eating the foliage on one branch before moving to another. The first-instar larvae are skeletonizers, whereas older caterpillars consume the entire leaf.
The eggs are deposited in masses of 300 or more on the undersides of leaves in early June. The half-grown larvae take on a brick-red color; later, they turn grayish black with yellowish longitudinal stripes and long, grayish white hairs. The caterpillars, when disturbed, arch their heads and tails in an attempt to discourage predators. The larvae molt together, leaving behind a clump of dirty-white cast skins. The walnut caterpillar has one generation in the northeastern states and two generations in some of the southern states.
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 Photo by Lacy L. Hyche, Auburn University, Bugwood.org |  Photo by Lacy L. Hyche, Auburn University, Bugwood.org |
