Browntail Moth Update #10: June 21, 2024
Browntail caterpillars continue to pupate at all of our monitoring sites. During this time, the caterpillars transform to moths inside their cocoons, which are inside of the pupal packets they began creating last week. At 4 of the 5 southern monitoring sites there are still a handful of caterpillars out and about although the vast majority of them have pupated.
Browntail moth caterpillars constructing a pupal packet on host foliage (left) and a completed packet (right).
Adult browntail moths are on their way soon...
Based on previous years, we expect to be seeing adult browntail moths in the next week or so (late June). Adult browntail moths typically fly from late June to early August.
Browntail moth adults have white wings and white legs with a reddish-brown body that leads to a rounded brown "tail." Oftentimes, other white moths are active at the same time and can be present in the same areas as browntail moths, which can make browntail moth identification difficult. Use the comparison chart below to help ID moths.
 Although browntail moth adults look hairy, they do not have toxic hairs like the browntail caterpillars. That said, the moths may pick up some residual hairs when exiting the cocoon they made when they were caterpillars with toxic hairs. Keep an eye out for browntail moth adults and reduce outdoor lighting when possible to reduce their attraction to your house and trees.
Will you have browntail moth adults flying in your area?
Browntail moth adults are highly attracted to lights. Even if you live in an area without significant browntail caterpillar activity, your outdoor lights can be a beacon to browntail moths traveling on summer winds.
Limit outdoor lighting in July to reduce browntail moth adults flying to your house. If you can’t turn off your outdoor lights, consider switching from white-blue-colored lights to yellow-colored lights. Research by the Mech Lab at the University of Maine suggests that these yellow-colored lights are less attractive to browntail moth adults. The lab also found that areas with outdoor lights left on had more browntail caterpillars compared to areas that did not have outdoor lights. This means that limiting the outdoor lights on your property may reduce the amount of browntail moths flying and mating in your trees, therefore reducing the amount of browntail moth eggs (and future caterpillars!).
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