Pine Powder Moth (Eufidonia convergaria)

Taxonomy

Domain	Eukarya
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Arthropoda
Subphylum	Hexapoda
Class	Insecta
Subclass	Pterygota
Infraclass	Neoptera
Superorder	Holometabola
Order	Lepidoptera
Superfamily	Geometroidea
Family	Geometridae
Subfamily	Ennominae
Tribe	Boarmiini
Genus	Eufidonia

Scientific Name

Eufidonia convergaria

Common Name

pine powder 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

Green body with prominent, pale subdorsal and spiracular stripes. Yellowish green head sometimes faintly marked with brown on lobes; blue lower frons and labrum; green prothoracic shield and anal plate. Dark green middorsal stripe; yellowish subdorsal stripe less distinct than white spiracular stripe; subventral stripe margined with dark green. Up to 25 mm.

Food

Mainly eastern white pine.

Life Cycle

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

Comments

The food plant and the absence of red subspiracular stripe on the thorax distinguish this species from the powder moth, Eufidonia notataria. The green body with pale stripes allows both caterpillars to be inconspicuous on the foliage of their food plants. The pine powder moth also resembles species of Macaria on eastern white pine. The species of Macaria differ by having distinct reddish brown markings on the head, a whitish dorsum, conspicuous subdorsal stripes, or some combination of these characteristics.