Definition

Noun: 1. A moth that constructs a silken web or tent as a communal shelter for its larval colony: The term "webbing moth" refers to a type of moth whose caterpillars (larvae) are known for spinning a conspicuous web of silk. This web serves as a protective nest or tent where the group of caterpillars lives and feeds together.

Usage Notes

• "Webbing moth" is a common name, not a formal scientific classification. It typically describes the behavior of the larval stage.
• It is often used in gardening, forestry, and entomology contexts to identify pests that defoliate trees and shrubs by living and feeding within silken webs.
• The term is frequently applied to several species within the family Lasiocampidae (tent caterpillars) and other families whose larvae exhibit this web-building behavior.

Examples

• The apple trees were infested with the webbing moth, their branches draped in silken tents.
• Gardeners should monitor for webbing moth larvae in early spring to prevent damage to ornamental shrubs.
• The webbing moth is easily identified by the large, web-like structures it forms in the forks of tree branches.

Advanced Usage

• Collective Noun Use: The term can sometimes refer collectively to the group of caterpillars inhabiting the web, not just the adult moth.
  • The entire colony of the webbing moth was removed from the cherry tree.

Variants and Related Words

• Tent caterpillar: A very common synonym for the larval form of many "webbing moths," especially those in the genus .
• Webworm: A general term for various caterpillar species that spin webs, which may include the larvae of "webbing moths" but also other insects like fall webworms.
• Lasiocampid: A member of the moth family Lasiocampidae, which includes many tent-making species.

Synonyms

• Tent-making moth
• Web-spinning moth
• Tent caterpillar (larval stage)

Related Phrases/Idioms

• (To) spin a web: While not an idiom specific to the moth, this phrase literally describes the primary behavior that gives the "webbing moth" its name.
  • The caterpillars spin a web for protection from predators and weather.

Noun

1. moth that forms a web in which it lives