Differential use of pin and black cherry by the eastern tent caterpillar Malacosoma americanum Fab. ( Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae).

Pin and black cherry (Prunus pennsylvanica, P. serotina) occur frequently in the NE US in single and mixed species stands, but eastern tent caterpillar is only rarely found in pin cherry. Transplant studies revealed that although larvae could survive and grow in pin cherry, they grew more slowly and reached a smaller late instar size than those growing on black cherry in the same stands. Greenhouse growth experiments showed that larvae could reach the adult stage in pin cherry, but they were smaller than siblings grown on black cherry. Siblings raised on pin cherry also grew slower. This growth rate difference was greatest early in the larval stage, suggesting the influence of chemical or physical differences in young pin and black cherry leaves. Contact between eastern tent caterpillar and pin cherry may be historically recent and the insect may still be evolving toward use of pin cherry as a host plant.-from Authors