Nameless Pinion (Lithophane innominata)

Taxonomy

Domain	Eukarya
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Arthropoda
Subphylum	Hexapoda
Class	Insecta
Subclass	Pterygota
Infraclass	Neoptera
Superorder	Holometabola
Order	Lepidoptera
Superfamily	Noctuoidea
Family	Noctuidae
Subfamily	Noctuinae
Tribe	Xylenini
Subtribe	Xylenina
Genus	Lithophane

Scientific Name

Lithophane innominata

Common Name

Nameless pinion

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

Brownish body with indistinct stripes and dark dorsal chevrons on most segments. Light brown head mottled with dark brown on lobes; prothoracic shield with central dark brown rectangle. Faint, light brown middorsal, subdorsal, and spiracular stripes edged in dark brown; middorsal stripe joined to thicker, diagonal dark brown bars that resemble chevrons from above (most distinct one on A8). Grayish area below spiracles with various dark linear marks; gray venter. Up to 30 mm.

Food

Many broad-leaved trees; occasionally balsam fir, eastern hemlock, spruces, and other conifers.

Life Cycle

One generation. Adult overwinters usually in debris on ground. Mature caterpillar present mainly in June and July.

Comments

Before it molts to the final instar, this caterpillar is green or grayish green. The nameless pinion has an exceptionally large number of food plants.