Where do the Winter Moth larvae go after completing their feeding frenzy by mid-summer?
Answer
They drop to the ground to pupate in the soil.
Once the highly destructive larval stage has concluded its intense feeding period, which usually spans from late April through June, the next critical step in the lifecycle is pupation. After feeding has finished, often around mid-summer, the caterpillars cease eating and abandon the foliage. They then move downward, dropping from the host trees to the ground surface. The site for the subsequent developmental stage is the soil, where the larvae enter the pupal stage, remaining underground until the adult moths emerge the following autumn.
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