Bird Cherry -

Small ermine moth caterpillars often defoliate the tree, wrapping it in ghostly white silk shrouds.

Remarkably, the tree is adapted to grow a second flush of leaves once the caterpillars have turned into cocoons. bird cherry

The emerging moths become a vital protein source for baby bats precisely when they are weaning, while the late-summer berries sustain birds like thrushes and blackbirds. Folklore and Myth Small ermine moth caterpillars often defoliate the tree,