Browntail moth.(PEST OF THE MONTH) From: Arbor Age | Date: April 1, 2008 | COPYRIGHT 2008 Adams Business Media. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group.Copyright information

The browntail moth, Euproctis chrysorrhoea, a native of Europe, was first found in Somerville, Mass. in 1897. The lack of natural control agents contributed to its rapid spread throughout the Northeast. By 1915, the insect had spread to all of the New England states, as well as New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Since that time, populations of this pest slowly decreased due to natural controls.

The larval stage (caterpillar) of this insect feeds on the foliage of hardwood tr...