Woodgrain (Morrisonia latex)

Taxonomy

Domain	Eukarya
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Arthropoda
Subphylum	Hexapoda
Class	Insecta
Subclass	Pterygota
Infraclass	Neoptera
Superorder	Holometabola
Order	Lepidoptera
Superfamily	Noctuoidea
Family	Noctuidae
Subfamily	Noctuinae
Tribe	Hadenini
Genus	Morrisonia

Scientific Name

Morrisonia latex

Common Name

fluid arches 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

Brownish body with lighter brown on dorsum and below spiracular stripe and with dorsal chevrons of variable distinctness. Light brown head with lobes marked with brown reticulation and with brown vertical line from top to frons; mostly dark brown prothoracic shield with white spot laterally. Broken, dark brown middorsal stripe blended with dark brown diagonal bars to form chevrons that contrast with lighter brown background. Faint, dark brown subdorsal stripe and distinct, uneven spiracular stripe; brown (or sometimes gray) below spiracular stripe much lighter than brown immediately below chevrons. Up to 30 mm.

Food

Many broad-leaved trees and shrubs; occasionally eastern hemlock, eastern larch, eastern white pine, pitch pine, and probably other species of Pinaceae.

Life Cycle

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

Comments

This caterpillar is distinguished from the confused woodgrain, Morrisonia confusa, by its brown color. The reticulation on the head can be used to separate the woodgrain from the nameless pinion, Lithophane innominata. Until recently, the woodgrain was known as Polia latex.