Forest Pests: Insects, Diseases & Other Damage Agents

Many-lined Angle (Macaria multilineata)

Maier, C.T., C.R. Lemmon, J.M. Fengler, D.F. Schweitzer, and R.C. Reardon. 2004. Caterpillars on the Foliage of Conifers in the Northeastern United States. FHTET-2004-1. Morgantown, WV: USDA Forest Service, Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team; 151 p.

Description. Greenish body with dark and pale stripes interrupted by spots. Dark grayish green head; greenish prothoracic shield with large, dark green spot laterally; dark green thoracic legs, becoming increasingly yellow toward tip. Broken, dark green middorsal stripe with irregular white spots in breaks; white subdorsal stripe interrupted by dark olive-green spots that are sometimes extended to form another stripe. Fragmented, white spiracular stripe with dark olive-green spots in gaps; yellowish band on hind margin of segments. Up to 25 mm.

Food. Atlantic white-cedar and eastern red-cedar.

Life Cycle. One to two generations. Pupa overwinters in soil or debris. Mature caterpillar present from June to November.

Comments. This species and the similar curve-lined angle, Digrammia continuata, closely resemble the foliage of their food plants. Of the two, only the curve-lined angle has reddish marks near the spiracles. Another common caterpillar on cedars is Taylor's cedar looper, Eupithecia intricata taylorata. This last species has continuous subdorsal and spiracular stripes, whereas the other two have broken ones. The many-lined angle formerly was known as Semiothisa multilineata.

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