Arborvitae Leafminer(Argyresthia thuiella)

From Bugwoodwiki

arborvitae leafminer Photo by Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Archive, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, Bugwood.org Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Hexapoda (including Insecta) Order: Lepidoptera Family: Yponomeutidae Genus: Argyresthia Species: thuiella Scientific Name Argyresthia thuiella (Packard)

Contents 1 Description 2 Food 3 Life Cycle 4 Comments 5 Gallery 6 References

Description

Greenish body with dark brown head, prothoracic shield, and anal plate. Up to 7 mm.

Food

Northern white-cedar.

Life Cycle

One generation. Nearly full-grown caterpillar overwinters in mined foliage. Mature caterpillar present from April to June.

Comments

The caterpillar forms its pupa within its foliar mine, usually near the base. The green pupa is curved at the end of the abdomen. See the comments for the Canadian arborvitae leafminer, Argyresthia canadensis. The arborvitae leafminer sometimes is a serious pest of planted northern white-cedars (arborvitae). The mined foliage typically turns brown (see below).

Gallery

Photo by Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Archive, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, Bugwood.org

References

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.