Small Pine Looper (Eupithecia palpata)

Taxonomy

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

Scientific Name

Eupithecia palpata

Common Name

small pine looper

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

Slender, yellowish body with dark reddish middorsal stripe and pinkish red annulations on segments. Brownish yellow head with reddish tinge. Two or three faint, narrow, longitudinal lines between middorsal stripe and spiracles; light yellow spiracular stripe. Obvious, pinkish red band near hind margin of segments; anal plate darkened in center. Up to 15 mm.

Food

Balsam fir, eastern hemlock, eastern larch, pines, spruces, and possibly other conifers.

Life Cycle

One generation. Pupa overwinters in soil or debris. Mature caterpillar present from June to October.

Comments

The mature caterpillar of the small pine looper can be found over a period of 5 months on many different trees. Future research may reveal that this species actually is a complex of several species.