Lepidoptera Moths, Skippers, Butterflies Lepidoptera Lepidoptera Moths, Skippers, Butterflies `Adults `Coiled proboscis for sucking `2 pairs of membranous wings covered with scales

Lepidoptera Moths, Skippers, Butterflies

Adults Coiled proboscis for sucking 2 pairs of membranous wings covered with scales Antennae: Moths – feather or saw-like; skippers – hooked; butterflies - knobbed

Larvae Caterpillars have mandibles for chewing; prolegs with crotchets on 5 or fewer abdominal segments

Complete metamorphosis

Lepidoptera

Most diverse group of leaf feeders Large larvae eat entire leaf Smaller larvae eat holes or mine leafs Borers in wood or stems Few species are predators

Eastern Tent Caterpillar Lasiocampidae

Early-season defoliator – 1st caterpillar of season Host Plants

Prefer wild cherry, crabapple, apple

Forest Tent Caterpillar Lasiocampidae

Early-season defoliator – 2nd caterpillar of season Host Plants

Deciduous trees – prefers oak, sugar maple, black gum, sweet gum, poplar, birch, elm, ash, willow, hawthorn, and fruit trees

Spring and Fall Cankerworm Geometridae

Early-season defoliator Larvae finished feeding by early June

Host Plants Many deciduous trees – apple, elm, oak, hickory, linden, birch, beech, and maple

Winter Moth Operophtera brumata

By Robert Childs

Fall CankerwormWinter Moth Winter Moth and Fall Cankerworm Females

This photograph courtesy of Dr. David Wagner, UConn

Euonymus Leaf Notcher Pryeria sinica Early Signs of Pryeria Damage

And Eventually… Eggs and Small Larvae

Small and Mature Larvae Gypsy Moth Erebidae

Tussuck moths Introduced pest (1860’s) Early season defoliator 1 generation / year

Gypsy Moth

Preferred host plants: Oak, sweetgum, linden, willow, birch, apple, boxelder, hawthorn

Resistant host plants: Tuliptree, sycamore, black locust, ash, American holly, mulberry, red cedar

Entomophaga maimaiga – imported twice, once in early 1900’s and again in 1980’s Moth Gypsy Defoliation

Fall Webworm Erebidae Mid and late season defoliator Fall WW has 2 color forms –

black heads with yellow bodies and red heads with brown bodies late instar larvae ~ 1” with paired black turbercles and long hair

Host Plants Many deciduous trees – Prefers mulberry, walnut, hickory, elm, sweetgum, poplar, willow, oak, linden, ash, and fruit trees

Mimosa Webworm Plutellidae

Mid and late season defoliator Larvae

Mature larvae ~ ½” long; pale green to brown w/ 5 longitudinal white stripes

Host Plants Mimosa, honeylocust (thornless)

Juniper Webworm Gelechiidae

Late and early season defoliator Larvae

Mature larvae ~ ¾” long; tan with brown stripes Host Plants

Many species of junipers, prefers columnar junipers Resistant varieties – Juniperus chinensis “pfitzeriana”, Savin juniper

Juniper Webworm Gelechiidae Biology

One generation per year Overwinter as larvae within webbed branches Caterpillars tightly web together branches; feed within webbed branches In spring adults mate and lay eggs

Pine Webworm Pyralidae

Mid to late season defoliator Larvae

Mature larvae ~ ¾” long; tan with 4 black stripes

Host Plants Many species of pines; prefer Pitch, mugo, scotch and Virginia

Pine Webworm Pyralidae Biology

One generation per year Overwinter as pupae in soil under trees Young caterpillars mine needles; older larvae consume needles while building protective nests composed of frass and silk surrounding terminals In spring adults mate and lay eggs

Pine Webworm Pyralidae

Damage Needles turn yellow due to young larvae mining needles; mature larvae consume entire needles; Larvae build webbed nests around terminal which are unsightly (webbing, frass, brown needles)

Yellownecked Caterpillar Notodontidae

Late season defoliator Larvae

Mature larvae ~ 2” long; black with yellow neck and several yellow stripes

Host Plants Prefers shade and fruit trees

Orangestriped Oakworm Saturniidae

Mid season defoliator Larvae

Mature larvae ~ 1 ½” long; black with 8 orange-yellow stripes; 2 black spines behind head; spines on side of abdomen

Host Plants Prefers oak, also feed on hickory and birch

Orangestriped Oakworm Saturniidae Biology

Two generations per year Overwinter as pupae in soil Caterpillars active June through September

Orangestriped Oakworm

Damage Gregarious and usually feed on one branch at a time Young caterpillars skeletonize Older larvae defoliate branches

Redhumped Caterpillar Notodontidae Biology

One generation per year Overwinter as pupae in leaf litter Caterpillars feed in clusters June through September

Azalea Caterpillar Notodontidae

Late season defoliator Larvae

Mature larvae ~ 2 ½” long, black with rows of white spots, reddish head, neck area, and legs

Host Plants Prefers azalea

Greenstriped Mapleworm Saturniidae

Mid season defoliator Larvae

Mature larvae ~ 1 ½” long, green with reddish head, 2 black horns, and several stripes

Host Plants Prefers maples, especially red, sugar, and silver maples

Severe pest of boxwoods in Europe

Detected in Toronto in 2018

Hymenoptera Suborder Apocrita:

Wasps, Hornets, Ants, Bees

Chewing mouthparts (adults and larvae) 2 pairs membranous wings, front larger then back, hooks on front margin of hind wings Abdomen constricted at thorax (adults) Females have ovipositor or stinger (adults) Complete metamorphosis Larvae are legless Parasitic and phytophagous

Hymenoptera Suborder Symphyta: sawflies

Chewing mouthparts (adults and larvae) 2 pairs membranous wings, front larger then back, hooks on front margin of hind wings Abdomen broadly joined to thorax (adults) Females have retracted saw-like ovipositor (adults) Complete metamorphosis Larvae resemble caterpillars, but 6 or more prolegs without crotchets, 1 pr simple eyes Most are phytophagous

Redheaded Pine Sawfly Diprionidae

Native sawfly Late instar larvae about 1”; reddish head; a yellowish-white body with 6 rows of irregular spots Host Plants

Prefers mugo, jack, red, shortleaf, loblolly, slash, longleaf, pitch, Japanese black

Redheaded Pine Sawfly Diprionidae Biology

2 generations Pre-pupae overwinter in cocoons in soil Active May-June, Aug.-Oct. Eggs deposited into needles (brown spots) Eggs hatch, larvae are gregarious and feed on needles of terminal twigs and branches

White Pine Sawfly Diprionidae

Native sawfly Late instar larvae about 1”; black head; pale yellow to white body with 4 rows of spots Host Plants

Prefers eastern white pine

Dusky Birch Sawfly Tenthredinidae

Late instar larvae about 1”; black heads; yellowish green body with a row of large black spots down each side Host Plants

Prefers gray birch but attacks other birches

Blackheaded Ash Sawfly Tenthredinidae

Late instar larvae about ¾”; black head and legs; white, hairless body Host Plants

Prefers white and red ash but will attack other ashes

Curled Rose Sawfly

Rose slug sawfly Coleoptera Curculionidae - Weevils

Adults – snout varies in size; elbowed antennae arise mid length; mandibles at tip Larvae – “C” shaped, legless Most are phytophagous, adults may feed on foliage, bark of twigs; larvae feed on roots and crowns, bore into stems

Black Vine Weevil Curculionidae

Introduced weevil Adults – 3/8”; black with yellowish flecks Larvae – ½”; “C” shaped, legless Host Plants

Wide host range of woody shrubs and herbaceous plants; prefers yews, rhododendron, astilbe, heuchera, bergenia

Two Banded Japanese Weevil Curculionidae

Introduced weevil Adults – 3/16”; shortnosed, brown to gray with 2 dark bands, females only, flightless, diurnal Larvae – ¼”; “C” shaped, legless Host Plants

Prefers privet, azalea, rhododendron, mountain laurel, forsythia, spirea, lilac, pyracantha, euonymus

Strawberry Root Weevil Curculionidae

Introduced weevil Adults – ¼”; shortnosed, shiny black, constricted prothorax / wing, nocturnal, flightless Larvae – ¼”; “C” shaped, legless Host Plants

Prefers arborvitae, hemlock; some pines, spruce, and juniper attacked

Elm flea weevil

European elm flea weevil (Orchestes alni) common throughout Europe and first found in the U.S. in 1982.

Found in the Midwest in 2003, and in Minnesota until 2007.

Feeds on Siberian elm, Chinese elm and hybrids with Asian parentage. Rarely feeds on American elm.

Feeding damage only affects the appearance of the tree.

Jeffrey Hahn, Extension entomologist

Jeffrey Hahn, Extension entomologist

Japanese Beetle Scarabaeidae

• Introduced scarab beetle • Adults – ½”, broadly oval, thick bodied,

brown wings, and metallic green body • Larvae – mature 1”, white with tan heads,

“C” shaped • Host Plants

– Adults have very wide host range (> 300 plant species); Prefers Linden trees, roses, grapes

• Labeled for use against Japanese beetle adults and grubs, leaf-feeding caterpillars, gypsy moth caterpillars, bagworms, tussock moth cat