Forest Pests: Insects, Diseases & Other Damage Agents

Northern Pine Looper (Caripeta piniata)

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. Gray and purplish brown body with distinct, but low, transverse dorsal ridges and usually with pale dorsal and lateral patches. Grayish head with purple and dark brown lobes marked in herringbone pattern. Indistinct, multicolored, broken middorsal stripe. On most segments, brownish subdorsal patch before dorsal ridge that has small, paired tubercles. Light gray spot before dark yellow spiracles topped with short, dark brown oblique line. Up to 35 mm.

Food. Pines.

Life Cycle. One generation. Pupa overwinters in soil or debris. Mature caterpillar present from July to October.

Comments. An apparently unnamed species of Caripeta, whose caterpillar is similar to the northern pine looper, occurs along the coast of Connecticut to New Jersey. At this time, we do not know how to separate the caterpillars of the two species, although the undescribed one apparently has a partial spring generation and a late summer to fall one. Thus, some of the early and late records for the northern pine looper may represent the unnamed species.

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