Red-headed Inchworm (Macaria bisignata)

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	Macariini
Genus	Macaria

Scientific Name

Macaria bisignata

Common Name

redheaded inchworm

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

Greenish body with faintly marked head and with prominent, pale subdorsal stripe. Greenish head with lobes streaked with light brown (some light green reticulation in light brown); streak on lobes with white margins (extensions of subdorsal and spiracular stripes); greenish brown thoracic legs. Mostly yellowish green dorsum; green middorsal stripe edged with white; white subdorsal and spiracular stripes, the latter less distinct. Up to 22 mm.

Food

Eastern white pine.

Life Cycle

One to two generations. Pupa overwinters in soil or debris. Mature caterpillar present from July to November.

Comments

In addition to this caterpillar, the white pine angle, Macaria pinistrobata, and the minor angle, M. minorata, are common on eastern white pine. Of these three species, the red-headed inchworm usually has the least amount of frosting on the dorsum. Until recently, the red-headed inchworm was known as Semiothisa bisignata.