Spruce Harlequin (Palthis angulalis)

Taxonomy

Domain	Eukarya
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Arthropoda
Subphylum	Hexapoda
Class	Insecta
Subclass	Pterygota
Infraclass	Neoptera
Superorder	Holometabola
Order	Lepidoptera
Superfamily	Noctuoidea
Family	Erebidae
Subfamily	Herminiinae
Genus	Palthis

Scientific Name

Palthis angulalis

Common Name

Dark-spotted palthis

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 coarse cuticle, dark dorsal triangles, and dorsal hump on A8. Dark purplish brown head. Very dark brown middorsal stripe expanded into triangle on A1 to A6 and into hour-glass-shaped mark on A8. Prominent, white oblique line laterally on A7 and faint, widely separated, parallel pair on A1 to A6; lower oblique lines disrupt broad, dark brown spiracular stripe; dark brown subventral area. Up to 20 mm.

Food

Balsam fir, white spruce, and less commonly other conifers; also many other woody and herbaceous plants.

Life Cycle

Apparently two generations in southern New England, and two or three generations in southern New Jersey. Either caterpillar or pupa overwinters. Mature caterpillar present from June to October.

Comments

Additional study is needed to determine whether this caterpillar prefers conifers or other types of plants.