Linden Looper
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This looper is a native defoliator that may be found in southeastern Canada and throughout the Eastern United States. It defoliates forest, shade, and fruit trees, such as basswood, elm, hickory, maple, oak, birch, and apple, and is often found with cankerworms. Eggs are laid singly or in small groups, usually in bark crevices. Winter is spent in the egg stage. Hatching occurs in April and May as the leaf buds are expanding Larvae feed on the foliage until July, then they crawl to the ground and burrow 25 mm (1 in.) or more into the soil to pupate. The full-grown larva is about 37 mm (1.5 in) long, bright yellow, with 10 black wavy lines running lengthwise down the back. The head is rusty brown (fig. 24). |
Figure 24. – Linden looper larva. |
Male moths have a wingspan of about 42-mm (1.7 in.). The forewings are buff colored and marked with two transverse wavy brown bands and a sprinkling of brown dots. The hind wings are lighter and without distinctive markings (fig. 25). The female is wingless, about 12 mm (0.7 in.) long and is colored from light gray to brown, with two rows of black dots on her back.
