PEST PROFILES: MOTH AND BUTTERFLY CATERPILLARS

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Oakworms Description: Adults are uniform tan to gray, with prominent wing veins; body is 1/2 inch long with 1 1/4 inch wing spread. Eggs are white, but become pinkish to brownish gray before hatching. Young larvae (1/10 inch) are yellowish green with dark stripes and large brown heads. Mature larvae (1 inch) are variable in color. Pupae are white or yellow with black markings, á inch long, and found suspended from limbs, leaves, or the bark. Damage: Young larvae skeletonize leaf surfaces, while mature larvae chew all the way through the leaf. Defoliation on oaks may become extensive in May through September. Healthy trees can better tolerate damage than trees under stress from drought or other factors. Life cycle: Overwinter as young larvae on the lower leaf surface. There are 5 instar stages that mature in May or early June. These first generation females oviposit eggs that hatch from July through September. Second-generation moths occur in October and November when they oviposit eggs that hatch into overwintering larvae. There are 2 to 3 generations a year.