Oak leaftier
Croesia semipurpurana |
| USDA Forest Service. 1979. A guide to common insects and diseases of forest trees in the northeastern United States. Northeast. Area State Priv. For., For. Insect and Disease Management., Broomall, PA. p. 123, illus. |
The oak leaftier is a bud miner and defoliator that causes considerable tree mortality in the Applachian region. Various oak species are attacked, but those in the red oak group seem to be most susceptible.
The eggs overwinter on oak branches and hatch in the spring. Young larvae burrow into expanding buds, while older larvae tie sections of leaves together and feed inside the folds. The full-grown larvae are dirty white to light green. The pale head capsule has black bars on the sides. Usually in May the mature larvae spin down to the ground and pupate in the soil litter. Pupation lasts from 1 to 2 weeks. Adults emerge and mate, and eggs are deposited individually on the bark of second-year branches. Only one generation per year has been reported.
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