What kind of tree is this?

david1332 · May 28, 2017

Any ideas? And what can I do to stop the caterpillars from eating the leaves?

Z'sTrees · May 28, 2017

Rubrum?

david1332 · May 28, 2017

That's what I thought at first but the leaf structure doesn't quite match.

JD3000 · May 28, 2017

Red or black.

If it is a large tree, a lepitect treatment may be your simplest and least expensive option for killing catters. It smells aweful however.

jmaher · May 28, 2017

My money is on rubra. Lobes don't look near deep enough to be black. I was wrong once before, though. Scared the shit out of me.

@JD3000

JD3000 · May 28, 2017

But to clarify, most caterpillars, and sawflies causing similiar damage, generally only have one generation of feeding larvae that cause damage. Most large oaks can tolerate this.

So unless you're dealing with a significant defoliator such as gypsy moth, pesticides may not be necessary.