ABOVE PHOTO: Leafless trees show the effects of spongy moth caterpillars that have eaten most of the leaf tissue. This photo was taken this week in the Valhalla parking area off of County Road C in the Washburn District of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. USDA FS photo by Steven Katovitch.
Large areas of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest (CNNF) are being impacted by spongy moth caterpillars. Spongy moth caterpillars have a voracious appetite for deciduous tree leaves and have left many areas nearly leafless, especially on the Washburn and Lakewood-Laona ranger districts. In some places, there are great lengths of leafless trees in areas that are typically lush with green tree leaves this time of year.
