western spruce budworm moth
Choristoneura freemani Razowski, 2008
This forest pest feeds mainly on Douglas-fir, all true firs, spruce, and larch but may also be found on pines. Small larvae first seen in spring and early summer are light green to light brown with darker heads. Mature larvae have brown heads and bodies with prominent ivory-colored spots. They can be about one inch long when full grown. Pupae are three-fourths of an inch long and brown and are found in the nests from mid-July into August. Adults are mottled rust-brown and have a wingspan of about seven-eighths of an inch. Larvae mine buds and old needles in spring, then consume new foliage as it appears. After several years of heavy defoliation, branch dieback, top kill, and tree mortality can occur. Cones and seeds of all host species are also destroyed. Terminal and lateral new shoots of larch are severed. This species was formerly known as Choristoneura occidentalis, however, the name has recently been changed to Choristoneura freemani due to a naming conflict with a previously described African species.
Resource Id | Title | Source | Number Of Versions |
---|---|---|---|