Silkmoths and more: Malacosoma neustria

The caterpillars of the Lakey Moth (Malacosoma neustria) are easily recognizable by their intense blue color. When you see larvae this blue sitting on a silk web or tent (hence the name tent caterpillar) you know you're dealing with a Malacosoma species. When you look closer to the heads of the animals, you will see two black dots which make the heads look like a face. This is the best characteristic to separate neustria from other Eurasian members of the genus. This is a small Lappet species with caterpillars growing to a maximum length of four and a half centimeter. They are also very social creatures, staying close together in the nest for most of their lives. Only in the final instar they spread out. Overcrowding is nearly impossible. Growth is fast. Once the eggs are taken out of the fridge, they hatch in around a week. The larvae complete their growth cycle in five to six weeks. Early instars should be kept in small, well ventilated plastic containers. The risk of diseases is lower when you move them to netted cages as soon as they've reached the fourth instar. Finding food shouldn't be a problem. They eat almost every deciduous shrub and tree, with a preference for Malus, Pyrus, Crataegus, Rosa, Corylus, Quercus and Salix. The pupal stage will be short (only two or three weeks, depending on the temperature).