Southwestern Tent Caterpillar

It's that time of year again, where the Southwestern Tent Caterpillars (Malacosoma incurvum) are out and about. They're all over the cottonwoods along the San Pedro river. If you stand still you can hear the steady "thup... thup.... thup" as they drop out of the trees and onto the ground. By next week, they'll be "raining" out of the sky. Seriously, they become so plentiful that you can stand there and it sounds like it's raining. You hold your hand out to see how much it's raining and several caterpillars will suddenly plop into it.

They're great macro subjects but you've got to take some precautions: wear a hat, watch where you put your elbows (oops, was a caterpillar but now is green slime), and check your pant legs (yee-haw, caterpillar wagon train comin' up!). Then do a thorough once-over after you leave the riparian area, and do it again before you get back into your car (Oh, man! Squished caterpillar green spot on my nice upholstery!).

For the squeamish or bug-aversive, I recommend you stay away from the cottonwoods until mid-May.

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