Major Sallow (Feralia major)

Taxonomy

Domain	Eukarya
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Arthropoda
Subphylum	Hexapoda
Class	Insecta
Subclass	Pterygota
Infraclass	Neoptera
Superorder	Holometabola
Order	Lepidoptera
Superfamily	Noctuoidea
Family	Noctuidae
Subfamily	Amphipyrinae
Tribe	Psaphidini
Subtribe	Feraliina
Genus	Feralia

Scientific Name

Feralia major

Common Name

Noctuid moth

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

Dark green body with prominent, bicolored spiracular stripe and with pale middorsal, subdorsal, and subventral stripes. Light green head; dark reddish brown thoracic legs. White middorsal and subdorsal stripes; wide spiracular stripe that is narrowly red above and broadly white below; yellowish white subventral stripe usually broken where segments meet. Up to 35 mm.

Food

Eastern white pine, pitch pine, and possibly other conifers.

Life Cycle

One generation. Pupa overwinters in soil or debris. Mature caterpillar probably present from May to July.

Comments

This caterpillar can be separated from the other two Feralia species by the evenness of its subdorsal and spiracular stripe and by its food plant.