According to the latest UMass extension Landscape Message:

Landscape Message: Jun 1, 2018

"Winter Moth: (Operophtera brumata) caterpillars are even more difficult to find at this time than they have been thus far this season in eastern Massachusetts and it is suspected that in some areas, such as Hanson, MA (see Regional Reports above) that pupation may have begun. If they have not already, they will drop from host plant leaves to the ground, where they will pupate. This typically occurs when caterpillars are approximately 1 inch in length and around late-May or early-June. This means winter moth feeding is at or near an end for the 2018 season."

This implies that If you're not seeing winter moth damage by now, you're not going to see any more.

I have a lot of lilies up with nice healthy foliage and no lily leaf beetles in sight. I've seen very few beetles over the last several years.

I don't think you're dreaming, PM2.

Claire

edit note: For me the Gypsy Moth is the biggest worry, and so far I'm not seeing any caterpillars.

Well, that would be excellent, Claire. Thanks for posting that report. I was pretty sure that in past seasons, the damage I saw was earlier in the season. Almost just as the leaves were opening. I wonder what happened to them all? I can't remember the last time I saw such healthy, undamaged foliage on my Maple and Japanese Maple tree. And we sure aren't missing all the dropping caterpillars. I'm hoping there's no surprise that's going to cancel my excitement. [g]

I had healthy foliage on my lilies last year too and I might have seen 2 or 3 RLLBeetles all season. I haven't examined the plants closely yet, but I will this weekend.

Good luck with the Gypsy Moths too. Luckily, the winter moths have been the only caterpillar I've had an issue with.

We've had a fair amount of early defoliation on maples here just north of Boston, which I've always understood was from winter moths. But it's a lot less than the last couple of years (which were brutal.) We found a gypsy moth caterpillar in the garden last week. So I guess we've got both!

I've been relieved to have a break from winter moth too! My question is: what caused this--last year's weather? that parasitic fly they released? should we expect to have some years of (or permanent) relief from them, or is this just a natural downturn and they'll boom again? Will it be like gypsy moth where we have cycles of bad years?

Interested because they are really gross to me (many years of avoiding the outdoors in May because of showers of frass raining down on our patio) but also because it will affect my planting habits. I'd recently avoided planting anything that was delicious to winter moth.

Ugh, no such luck here in Hartford CT. I can't even go outside. There's a caterpillar every foot. Can't even walk across my patio without squishing them. Let alone check for damage lol. Sooooo disgusting.

Ellen, winter moth caterpillars season should be about done by now--are you sure yours aren't gypsy moths? (gypsy moths are fuzzy/hairy, winter moths are green inchworms.) Either way, sorry you have to deal with them! Both are so gross.

I guess they're gypsy moths then. They are on the decline the last few days thankfully. Big black things with white dots and fur. This is our first summer back from Florida in 5 years, so I wasn't really prepared for all the creepy crawlies, but I am loving the low humidity summer days!

I still haven't seen any gypsy moth caterpillars (last year was miserable) but I've seen two green caterpillars ballooning and the grackles have occasionally been foraging in the lawn under the oak. Winter moths have never been a big problem here - I think the birds take them to feed their nestlings. Unfortunately, most birds don't eat the hairy gypsy moth caterpillars.

I recently saw (and annihilated) two red lily leaf beetles but the lily leaves are mostly undamaged.

Claire

The green inchworm ones are the winter moth caterpillars, right? Yesterday I was weeding under a tree and one fell on my bare forearm and bit me! Maybe just testing my skin for herbaceous tastiness.... :--} But what a painful surprise!

I have noticed less damage on my poor maple trees this year, which is nice.

The green inchworms can also be Bruce spanworm which is native here or another spanworm, cankerworm, etc.. I didn't know any of them bit people. I'm glad they're not bigger.

Confusing Spring Caterpillars

Claire

Wow, Claire, who knew there were so many different kinds of generic green caterpillars!! I have no idea which of these it could have been. Very few of the non-hairy kinds (--and mine was non-hairy, I think--) seem to be able to sting/bite, so it's a mystery.

barrett001: The latest UMass Extension Landscape Message (June 15, 2018) has this note in the Cape Cod Region (Barnstable) report:

"Pests/Problems: Cankerworm (spring or fall) can be found feeding on deciduous trees and may be mistaken as winter moth. Gypsy moth can be seen primarily on the outer Cape some minor damage can be observed in the upper Cape."

Claire

I saw that, Claire.... :--D This would seem to support the idea that green caterpillars aren't easy to identify.