Green Hemlock Needleminer(Coleotechnites apicitripunctella)

From Bugwoodwiki

baldcypress webworm 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: Gelechiidae Genus: Coleotechnites Species: apicitripunctella Scientific Name Coleotechnites apicitripunctella (Clemens) Common Name Synonyms green hemlock needleminer

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

Description

Yellowish green body with orange-brown head and prothoracic shield. Prothoracic shield with light gray anterior margin; many small, dark green spots conspicuous on pale body segments. Up to 7 mm.

Food

Eastern hemlock.

Life Cycle

One generation. Partly grown caterpillar overwinters in hollowed needle in its feeding nest. Mature caterpillar present in May and June.

Comments

The feeding habits and webbed nest (see below) of this caterpillar are similar to those of the brown hemlock needleminer, Coleotechnites macleodi. The two needleminers can be separated by their color. Freeman (1967) and Johnson and Lyon (1991) also have illustrated the damage caused by the green hemlock needleminer.

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.