Erin Robbins, age 11, of Dayton, Ohio, for her question:

WHY DO THEY CALL IT THE TENT CATERPILLAR?

The tent caterpillar is the larva of certain moths that damage trees.

They get their name because they spin a loose, white web that looks very much like a tent. This web envelops tree twigs and is the home for a group of the caterpillars.

About the middle of summer, the female moth lays brown egg masses on tree twigs. The eggs hatch the following spring. After feeding for about six weeks on the trees, the larvae enter the pupa stage in which they spin silky cocoons around themselves. After three weeks, they emerge as full grown moths, mate, lay their eggs and die.

Tent caterpillars damage trees as they eat leaves. A nest of caterpillars Has been known to eat most of the leaves on a single tree.

The eastern tent caterpillar lives in tents in fruit and shade trees. It has a yellow line along its back. The forest tent caterpillar lives in forest trees but it does not build a tent. It has a row of yellow spots along its back. Both species are found in the eastern and central parts of North America. Other species are found in the West.

Tent caterpillars can be controlled by collecting the egg masses in winter and by burning the larvae in their tents in spring. Sometimes spraying with lead arsenate is done to provide effective control over large areas.