Oak Leaftiers
Croesia semipurpurana (Kearfott)
Talerico, R. L., 1978. Major hardwood defoliators of the Eastern United States. U.S. Dep. Agric., Home and Garden Bull. 224.
The tiers are a very important group of defoliators. It is not unusual for tiers, rollers, cankerworms, and loopers to feed on the same trees. The oak leaftiers has been collected in many States, from New York south to Texas, from Massachusetts west to Minnesota, and from adjacent areas in southern Canada.
Tiers appear to have a preference for red, scarlet, black, and pin oaks. Periodically the tiers has been a serious defoliator of forested areas in Pennsylvania, and tree mortality has been attributed to tiers following a number of years of sustained heavy defoliation.
In June, eggs are laid singly on twigs with rough bark, where they overwinter. After hatching the following April, the young larvae enter unopened buds and feed on the developing leaves. Large populations can destroy nearly all the buds on a tree. Surviving buds produce leaves riddled with holes. Major defoliation results from the feeding of older larvae, which feed more openly but from within their protected webbing and shelter. The full-grown larva is about 12 mm (0.5 in) long and dirty white to light green. It has a pale brown head and black to brown front legs.
A black bar on the lower side of the head or cheek area is a distinctive character for identification. When larvae mature in mid-May, they spin down on silken threads to the ground and pupate in the litter beneath the tree. Adults emerge and mate from late May through June.
The oak leaftier adult moth is small, with a 12 mm (0.5 in.) wingspan. At rest the wings appear bell shaped. A great deal of variation exists in the color pattern of the moth’s forewing, which may vary from almost uniform yellow with dark brown marking.
[ Contents ]
[ Previous ]
[ Next ]
[ Home ]
|
