Template:POTD/2010-08-08
Malacosoma californicum is a species of tent caterpillar, so named because they build conspicuous silk tents in the branches of host trees. They are often considered as pests due to their habit of defoliating trees. They are among the most social of all caterpillars, and the tents facilitate aggregation and serve as focal sites of thermal regulatory behavior.Photo: Mila Zinkova