Larvae feed voraciously on the leaves of both deciduous and coniferous trees. During the larval stage, an asian gypsy moth caterpillar can eat an average of one square metre of foliage. Deciduous trees can sometimes produce a second crop of leaves, but after repeated defoliations trees may die or become so weakened that they are susceptible to secondary infestations. Evergreens may die after only one defoliation.