Larch Casebearer (Coleophora laricella)

Taxonomy

Domain	Eukarya
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Arthropoda
Subphylum	Hexapoda
Class	Insecta
Subclass	Pterygota
Infraclass	Neoptera
Superorder	Holometabola
Order	Lepidoptera
Family	Coleophoridae
Subfamily	Coleophorinae
Genus	Coleophora

Scientific Name

Coleophora laricella

Common Name

larch casebearer

Maier, C.T.; Lemmon, C.R.; Fengler, J.M.; Schweitzer, D.F.; Reardon, R.C.; Caterpillars on the Foliage of Conifers in the Northeastern United States. Morgantown, WV. USDA Forest Service. Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. FHTET-2004-01. March 2004. 151 p.

Description

Easily recognized by its grayish white tubular case that has longitudinal ridges. Brown body with dark brown head, prothoracic shield, spiracles, and anal plate; relatively small prolegs. Up to 6 mm.

Food

Eastern larch.

Life Cycle

One generation. Partly grown caterpillar overwinters in its case at the base of a bud. Mature caterpillar present in May and June.

Comments

After it becomes a second instar, this species lives in a case that is composed of two mined needles that are bound together with silk. Extensive mining by caterpillars causes the normally green needles of larch to turn brown. The larch casebearer infests not only native larches, but also several introduced species used in landscape plantings. This European pest arrived in North America in the 1800s. Since then, it has spread widely in Canada and the northern United States.