Malacosoma californicum

Malacosoma californicum
Female (light colour) and Male
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Lasiocampidae
Genus:	Malacosoma
Species:	M. californicum
Binomial name
Malacosoma californicum Packard, 1864
Synonyms
Clisiocampa californica Packard, [1865] Clisiocampa californica Walker, 1865 Bombyx pseudoneustria Boisduval, 1868 Clisiocampa thoracica Stretch, 1881 Clisiocampa fragilis var. perlutea Neumoegen & Dyar, 1893 Clisiocampa ambisimile Dyar, 1893 Clisiocampa pluvialis Dyar, 1893 Clisiocampa fragilis Stretch, 1881 Clisiocampa mus Neumoegen, 1893

The Western Tent Caterpillar (Malacosoma californicum) is a moth of the family Lasiocampidae. It is found in the Western part of the Nearctic ecozone.

Female with eggs

Caterpillars

The wingspan is ca. 28 mm.

The larvae feed on various decideous trees, such as Oak and Poplar.

Subspecies

• Malacosoma californicum californicum
• Malacosoma californicum ambisimile (Dyar, 1893)
• Malacosoma californicum pluvialis (Dyar, 1893)
• Malacosoma californicum recenseo Dyar, 1928
• Malacosoma californicum lutescens (Neumoegen & Dyar, 1893)
• Malacosoma californicum fragile (Stretch, 1881)