The red-headed pine sawfly, Neodiprion lecontei (Fitch), is a gregarious diprionid common in eastern and north-central North America. Larvae of this species have been shown to use trail pheromones to maintain colony structure. Herein we report the results of further studies of group foraging behavior, showing that tactile cues or contact chemoreception also play a role in maintaining colony structure. Video-based activity records reveal a pattern of synchronized, continuous daily feeding punctuated by short periods of quiescence. Y-maze experiments and video examination of group movement revealed that exploring larvae are strongly influenced in the selection of new feeding sites by the presence of conspecifics at those sites. Larvae settled and initiated feeding more quickly at feeding sites at which conspecifics were already present. This was also true when freeze-killed groups of conspecifics were used, suggesting that physical contact and not active signaling plays a role in group cohesion. In the absence of conspecifics, larval site selection is influenced by trail pheromones deposited by earlier-exploring larvae. Our studies suggest red-headed pine sawflies use two-tiered or hierarchical communication cues necessitated by the loose manner in which groups colonize new feeding sites. Trail pheromones may help foraging larvae relocate their colony or its general vicinity, but foragers tend to remain active until they physically contact conspecifics.