Forest Pests: Insects, Diseases & Other Damage Agents

Pine Devil (Citheronia sepulcralis)

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. Large, purplish and yellowish brown body with large, paired subdorsal horns on thoracic segments and with conspicuous middorsal one on A8. Purplish brown head; yellowish brown subdorsal horns on T1 to T3, with pair on T1 smallest and with pair on T2 and T3 curved and mounted on transverse dorsal hump; large, black dorsal patch at juncture of T2 and T3, smaller dark spot between T3 and A1. Subdorsal horns on A1 to A9, with pair on A1 yellowish and other pairs dark brown to black; single horn on A8 equal in size to those on T2 and T3. Downward-curved, black oblique line before black spiracles; lateral area marked with various short, vertical black dashes and broken, horizontal lines; prolegs larger on A10 than on other segments. Up to 90 mm.

Food. Eastern white, pitch, and other pines.

Life Cycle. Usually one generation, but a partial second one in southern New Jersey. Pupa overwinters in soil. Mature caterpillar present mainly in July and August (first generation) and in September and October (partial second generation).

Comments. No other caterpillar on conifers resembles this species. Although the pine devil once ranged well into Maine, it is now considered to be extirpated or exceedingly rare north of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The photographed specimen came from Maryland.

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