Slippery Elms dying

Date: Sun, 18 Apr 2010 09:14:13 -0400
From: Kira Dirlik
Subject: Slippery Elms dying

For the past two years I have seen all the leaves fall off  slippery elms on my property, as just dry brown skeletons, in mid- summer.   (Never before 2 summers ago.)  I noticed this week that  already three near my house already have leaves being eaten.   They  are so tall, I can’t really get a good look to see what is eating  them, and the biggest already appears dead.  Only a few leaves trying  to come out.

I’ve been seeing a few caterpillars about, but I don’t know if  they are the culprits.  My two bug books aren’t too clear, but could  it be the “Angel Wing Question Mark” moth?  It says they feed on elms,  but the drawing of the caterpillar isn’t quite on the mark with the  real thing.  Here is what these (who may or may not be the culprits)  look like:

1 1/2 – 2 inches long
one thin, light yellow, unbroken line down the center back
head black, matte (not shiny), and not prominent
not noticeably fuzzy, but fuzz over legs is light brown
sides look black or dark brown, but under magnifying glass are mottled
black, brown and darker yellow
short black legs and underbelly

These look different from the photo of tent caterpillars, and I don’t  see any “tents” anywhere.  It seems my elms are a hopeless cause, but  somehow there is always comfort in naming things, for some reason.   Any entomologists here?

Kira