Photo courtesy of University of Minnesota

The gauzy tents you see in the trees these days are not the work of gypsy moths, but of their much less damaging kin, the fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea.

Jon Traunfeld of the University of Maryland extension service said those insects are probably done feeding, but their large nests are still visible in the branches.

They are unsightly but cause little damage, says a bulletin from the Maryland extension service.

Damage to the host plant is primarily aesthetic, since leaves are usually eaten late in the season when it is not normally a threat to the health of the tree, according to Weekend Gardener.

 Larvae chew on leaves and spin large, unsightly, dirty white webs over the ends of branches; sometimes several branch tips are enclosed by one web.

You can remove them with a stick or prune them out. No controls are necessary unless there is severe defoliation.