Forest Pests: Insects, Diseases & Other Damage Agents

Saddleback Looper (Ectropis crepuscularia)

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. Reddish brown and light gray body with swollen T2 and with darkened diagonal ridge that ends at dorsal tubercle on A8; highly variable body color. Light gray head with darker brown herringbone pattern on lobes and with horizontal streak at top of frons. Gray, brown, and white, broken middorsal and subdorsal stripes, usually with dark margins; middorsal stripe sometimes expanded into large light gray diamond on mid-abdominal segments. Curved, dark brown oblique line usually between middorsal and subdorsal stripes on A2 and on ridge between tubercle and subdorsal stripe (or lower) on A8. Orange spiracles, ringed in black, on pale swollen area; typically dark brown subspiracular mark behind spiracles, sometimes developed into discontinuous subspiracular stripe; lightly speckled anal plate. Up to 32 mm.

Food. Many trees and shrubs, including balsam fir, eastern hemlock, eastern larch, northern white-cedar, spruces, and probably other conifers.

Life Cycle. One to three generations, with number increasing southward. Pupa overwinters in soil or debris. Mature caterpillar present mainly in July and August in New England.

Comments. Other color forms of the saddleback looper are shown by Rose and Lindquist (1994) and Wagner et al. (2001). This Holarctic species is a superb twig mimic that remains rigid after being disturbed.

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