Transverse-banded Looper (Hydriomena divisaria)

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	Hydriomenini
Genus	Hydriomena

Scientific Name

Hydriomena divisaria

Common Name

Geometrid 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

Dull yellow body with dorsal rectangular spots and broad, broken supraspiracular stripe. Orange-brown head with light brown on lobes. Brownish and greenish gray middorsal stripe expanded posteriorly into rectangular patch, especially on A1 to A7. Pinkish brown supraspiracular stripe; narrower, indistinct subspiracular stripe of variable color; black spiracles. Up to 25 mm.

Food

Balsam fir, eastern hemlock, eastern larch, spruces, and doubtfully pines.

Life Cycle

One generation. Pupa overwinters in soil or debris. Mature caterpillar present from August to November.

Comments

The transverse-banded looper occupies a very loose shelter of silk at its site of feeding.