Tent caterpillars' routes between their nests and potential food sources are marked with chemical traces called pheromones that the caterpillars leave behind  Moreover, routes from food sources back to the nest are marked more heavily than are merely exploratory routes that have failed to turn up a food source
Thus, tent caterpillars are apparently among the insect species that engage in communal foraging, which consists in the conveying of information concerning the location of food to other members of the colony, nest, or hive
A hungry tent caterpillar is more likely to follow heavily marked routes than lightly marked routes.