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Anisota virginiensis
Species of moth From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Anisota virginiensis, the pink-striped oakworm moth, is a species of silk moth of the family Saturniidae.
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Description
The female's wings are purplish red with ochre-yellow. They have thin scales and are almost transparent. The male's wings are purplish brown with a large transparent space in the middle.[3] The female is larger than the male. The wing span is 4.2 to 6.6 centimeters.
Habitat
The moth can be found across Canada from Nova Scotia to southeastern Manitoba,[4] and in the United States. It lives in deciduous woodlands and suburbs.[5]
Biology
Females release a pheromone which attracts males that swarm around her like bees. Mating occurs during the morning.[4] It is a rapid process. The male and female stay together for the rest of the day and then the female finds a place to lay eggs, usually under oak leaves.[4] Such mating swarms have been observed at carrion, where host plants may be higher quality due to the influx of nutrients associated with decomposition.[6]
The caterpillars are gray or greenish with dull brownish yellow or rosy stripes. There are scales on each segment and two long spines on the mesothorax.[3] The caterpillars pupate for a short time.[4] They feed on the foliage of oak trees, maples, birches, and hazels. The caterpillar overwinters in the soil as a pupa. Caterpillars that are newly hatched or are in the middle of growing feed in groups while those that are mature or nearly so feed separately.[7] The caterpillar is about an eighth of an inch long. The head is large in proportion to the body. The inside of the mouth is yellow. The legs are semi-translucent.[8]
Ecology
Conservation regimes are not required for this species.[5] It is considered a pest of forests because it defoliates trees.[7] Outbreaks can be treated with an arsenical spray.[9]
Life cycle gallery
Mating
Eggs
Larvae feeding on Quercus texana
Larva
Pupa
References
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