Pitch Pine Budworm (Choristoneura pinus maritima)

Taxonomy

Domain	Eukarya
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Arthropoda
Subphylum	Hexapoda
Class	Insecta
Subclass	Pterygota
Infraclass	Neoptera
Superorder	Holometabola
Order	Lepidoptera
Superfamily	Tortricoidea
Family	Tortricidae
Subfamily	Tortricinae
Tribe	Archipini
Genus	Choristoneura
Species	Choristoneura pinus

Scientific Name

Choristoneura pinus maritima

Common Name

Jack pine budworm

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

Light grayish body with pale spots in dark brown bands around body segments; variable body color. Orange-brown head, prothoracic shield, and anal plate; shield with light anterior margin and with two or more dark brown marks at hind margin; dark brown thoracic legs. Grayish upper two-thirds of body contrasts with lighter lower one-third. Pair of offset, grayish subdorsal spots on most segments; single pale spot above and below each abdominal spiracle. Prolegs on A3 to A6 reduced in size, but those on A10 of normal size. Up to 22 mm.

Food

Jack, pitch, and other hard pines.

Life Cycle

One generation. Young caterpillar overwinters under bark or in another sheltered place. Mature caterpillar present in June and July.

Comments

This caterpillar can vary in the color of the head, the prothoracic shield, or the rest of the body. For instance, unlike the photographed specimen, the head and shield can be mostly dark brown. Except for the food plant, the feeding habits of this species and the spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana, are similar. For example, in spring the pitch pine budworm usually forms a web among developing needles and male flowers.