• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
RTEC Treecare

RTEC Treecare

Expert Tree Care in the DC Metro Area | Call 703-573-3029 to talk to a Tree Care Expert.

  • Home
  • About
    • Who We Serve
      • Government
      • Commercial Environmental Services
      • Residential
    • Our Story
    • Our Team
    • Our Core Values
    • Testimonials
  • Plant Health Care
  • Tree Maintenance
  • Careers
    • We Are an Equal Opportunity Employer
    • We Welcome Veterans and Military Service Members
    • RTEC Benefits
    • RTEC Is Now Hiring
  • Blog
  • 703-573-3029
  • Contact Us

Five “Very Hungry” Late-Summer Caterpillars You Should Look Out For

Resources: Tree Problems

As summer comes to a close, certain caterpillars have been found crawling around in landscapes. These late-summer caterpillars may harm your plants or even harm you.

Here are the five types of “very hungry” caterpillars that have recently been found in the area.


1. Red-humped Oakworm Caterpillar

red-humped oakworm tree bug caterpillar type of caterpillars
Bruce Watt, University of Maine, Bugwood.org

Time of Year: August – September (Northeast), May – October (Southeast)

Targets:

  • White oak trees
  • Beech trees
  • Chestnut trees

Red-humped oakworm caterpillars typically become more noticeable in the late summer. Their feeding may lead to skeletonized-looking leaves and vast defoliation on the tree; however, usually the tree will survive with no permanent damage… as long as there isn’t a series of environmental stressors. If all the leaves are finished, the tree bug may wander into the house and leave a retching odor behind.

Generally, the most common complaint with red-humped oakworm caterpillars is the annoying falling insect frass. Their frass can interrupt favorite leisure activities and contaminate anything in reach.


2. American Dagger Moth Caterpillar

American Dagger Moth Caterpillar tree bug  type of caterpillars
Joseph Berger, Bugwood.org

Time of Year: July – October

Targets:

  • Alder trees
  • Ash trees
  • Elm trees
  • Maple trees
  • Oak trees
  • Willow trees

Possibly disappointing to hear, American dagger moth caterpillars are difficult to find. The defoliation they create is a different case as the tree bug can leave a very noticeable aftermath. On top of this, if touched, the caterpillar can produce a stinging, burning rash on skin.


3. Hibiscus-Leaf Moth Caterpillar

Hibiscus-Leaf Moth Caterpillar tree bug  type of caterpillars
Ansel Oommen, Bugwood.org

Time of Year: April – October

Target:

  • Hibiscus plants

While hibiscus-leaf moth caterpillars may sip nectar from flowers, their larvae actually munch on the leaves of hibiscus plants (hence their name!). In other words, if you own hibiscus plants it may be worth keeping an eye out for these pests.


4. Imperial Moth Caterpillar

Imperial Moth Caterpillar tree bug  type of caterpillars
Andrew J. Boone, South Carolina Forestry Commission, Bugwood.org

Time of Year: June – August (North), April – October (South)

Targets (mainly, they feed on dozens!):

  • Pine trees
  • Oak trees
  • Maple trees
  • Sassafras trees
  • Sweetgum trees

Although this type of caterpillar is rarely found, possibly one of the giveaways that imperial moth caterpillars are crawling in your yard is falling frass. While this makes their presence more noticeable to homeowners, it’s important to refrain from touching imperial moth caterpillars as they may leave an itchy rash on contact. These caterpillars make an especially delicious snack for nearby birds.


5. Checkered-fringe Prominent Caterpillar

Checkered-fringe Prominent Caterpillar tree bug type of caterpillars
Lacy L. Hyche, Auburn University, Bugwood.org

Time of Year: June – August (North), April – September (South)

Targets:

  • Birch trees
  • Elm trees
  • Maple trees
  • Oak trees
  • Basswood trees

Nocturnal, the checkered-fringe prominent caterpillar eats leaves off select trees and can be seen wandering toward light at night. Fortunately, these bugs don’t have toxic spines. They camouflage so well that the ability on its own enables them to hide and protect themselves from predators.


Interested in learning about other caterpillars that may be wandering in your landscape? Check out our blog post here for more common caterpillars in the area.

Do you want your landscape to reach its optimal health? By enrolling in our Canopy Protection Program, our Certified Arborists can provide your property with the proactive care it needs before things go awry.

NEED HELP WITH CATERPILLARS?

MEET WITH A CERTIFIED ARBORIST

OR CALL 703-573-3029

Primary Sidebar

Find a Certified Arborist in Your Area!

Google Reviews

Grey Burkhart
Grey Burkhart
March 29, 2022.
Verified
Very professional review of our requirements and an accurate estimate. Showed up on time and were finished quickly. Cleaned up all of the debris and sawdust. Great job all around.
Dennis Bruns
Dennis Bruns
March 8, 2022.
Verified
We have used RTEC Treecare for several years. They do excellent work. Their staff is extremely knowledgeable and take great care in explaining the various options available for your particular situation. I highly recommend them.
Annette Iannucci
Annette Iannucci
February 23, 2022.
Verified
We have been using RTEC for years and were very pleased with the recent tree maintenance work they did for us. As always, we got good advice from their arborist Ben,. The crew that did the work is highly skilled, and they did a great job trimming our trees. They worked safely and efficiently, in addition to leaving the yard clean after they finished the work.
Susan Crawford
Susan Crawford
January 26, 2022.
Verified
RTEC was at my house today to removed a large Magnolia that was badly damaged by the recent snow. They did a fantastic job at a very reasonable price. They arrived right on time, worked efficiently and quickly and cleaned up so well it was hard to tell anything have been disturbed. Over the past several years, I have used RTEC for all the services I checked above, and have always been very pleased with their service and professionalism. I also appreciate that they are not eager to take down trees that don't need to come down. In this case, the damage was too extensive for the tree to recover.
Kenton Morgan
Kenton Morgan
January 20, 2022.
Verified
Once again, RTEC has done a great job. The team showed up right on time and performed all the work that we agreed to. They kept us informed as to progress, coordinated with us concerning our maple, and made recommendations concerning ongoing support for our trees. At the end of the day, they thoroughly cleaned up the debris and left our yard in pristine condition. WELL DONE.
Jean Kluttz
Jean Kluttz
January 3, 2022.
Verified
Not our first time but this time was tricky removal of a large dead tree leaning on a healthy tree. Quick response for estimate, good timing to removal, all clear and healthy tree still fine.
Jerry Haggin
Jerry Haggin
December 16, 2021.
Verified
Very good work while ensuring that I was aware of status of my work order and planned completion.
Mike Iger
Mike Iger
December 16, 2021.
Verified
David Roberts
David Roberts
December 15, 2021.
Verified
We’ve used RTEC for many years for tree maintenance and can’t say enough good things about their service. We use them for tree trimming and for regular treatments to maintain our trees’ health and deal with pests and prevent disease. Their arborist Ben has been especially helpful with advice. RTEC also been especially helpful in emergency situations, once coming to cable a massive, heritage oak in our yard right before a hurricane was about to hit. Highly recommend.
Travis Larson
Travis Larson
December 10, 2021.
Verified
RTEC did an excellent job onsite of removing dead branches from our 80+ year old trees, and trimming other growth too close to our home.
Google rating score: 4.8 of 5, based on 185 reviews.

Resources Library

  • Tree Removal
  • Tree Maintenance
  • Tree Problems
  • Environmental Services
  • Seasonal Tree Care

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Footer

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
ADDRESS:
2828 Mary Street
Falls Church, VA 22042

EMAIL: admin@rtectreecare.com
PHONE: 703.573.3029

Copyright © 2022 · RTEC Tree Care · All Rights Reserved

  • TERMS AND CONDITIONS
  • Privacy Policy
  • COOKIE POLICY