Thanks to my friend Karen who pointed this out to me. There was a local invasion of this moth whose caterpillars weave an incredible thin white sheet over every branch and trunk of the host tree. They then proceed to completely strip it of its leaves. The sheet forms a protective layer stopping other creatures eating their food and at the same time protecting them from predators. Apparently the trees, in this case believed to be Bird Cherry, grow new leaves and completely recover. The pictures don't really do it justice – it looked like something from a cheap Hammer House of Horror production!
The blanket itself is very strong and clingy. It reminded me of a thinner PTFE tape – ideal for an emergency plumbing job!
This is the culprit:-
Oh my! I’ve never seen anything even remotely like that! How very interesting!
Surprisingly I hadn’t either although it’s quite widespread this year.
Dave the photo’s are really good. It makes me itchy just looking at these. I find it fascinating. Sarah is going to take Tommy on Sunday to see the trees.
I might try and get a night shot Karen – might look better. That’s my Grandson Joseph’s hand in the picture!