Anisota virginiensis
Encyclopedia
Anisota virginiensis, the Pink-Striped Oakworm Moth, is a species
of silk moth of the family Saturniidae
.
-yellow, have thin scales, and are almost transparent. The male's wings are purplish brown with a large transparent space in the middle. The females are larger than the males. The moth's wing span 4.2 centimeters to 6.6 centimeters. The conservation of the moth is usually not required. The species is considered a pest of forests because it defoliates trees. Mating occurs in midmorning and extends to late morning. The males attract females by buzzing similar to a bee. Mating goes by fast. The male and female stay together for the rest of the day and then the female finds a place to lay eggs. The eggs are laid in clusters under oak
leaves. If there is an outbreak of this species, an arsenical
spray can be used.
from Nova Scotia
to southeastern Manitoba
. The species can be found in deciduous
woodland, suburbs, and tree-lined city streets.
s are gray or greenish with dull brownish yellow or rosy stripes. There are scales on each segment and two long spines on the mesothorax
. The caterpillars pupa
te in a short time. They feed on the foliage of oak trees, maple trees, birch trees, and hazel trees
. The caterpillar overwinters in the soil as a pupa
. Caterpillars that are newly hatched or are in the middle of growing feed in groups while caterpillars that are in the late stage of growing or are fully grown feed separately. The head of the caterpillar is large in proportion to its body. The length of the caterpillar is one-eighth of an inch. The inside of the mouth is yellow. The legs are semi-translucent. The caterpillar is gregarious. The caterpillar moves from leaf to leaf and from twig to twig after they finish one leaf. Many full-grown caterpillars can be found together in late September.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of silk moth of the family Saturniidae
Saturniidae
The Saturniidae, commonly known as saturniids, are among the largest and most spectacular of the moths. They form a family of Lepidoptera, with an estimated 1,300 to 1,500 described species worldwide...
.
Description
The female's wings are purplish red, blended with ochreOchre
Ochre is the term for both a golden-yellow or light yellow brown color and for a form of earth pigment which produces the color. The pigment can also be used to create a reddish tint known as "red ochre". The more rarely used terms "purple ochre" and "brown ochre" also exist for variant hues...
-yellow, have thin scales, and are almost transparent. The male's wings are purplish brown with a large transparent space in the middle. The females are larger than the males. The moth's wing span 4.2 centimeters to 6.6 centimeters. The conservation of the moth is usually not required. The species is considered a pest of forests because it defoliates trees. Mating occurs in midmorning and extends to late morning. The males attract females by buzzing similar to a bee. Mating goes by fast. The male and female stay together for the rest of the day and then the female finds a place to lay eggs. The eggs are laid in clusters under oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
leaves. If there is an outbreak of this species, an arsenical
Arsenical
An arsenical is a arsenic-containing compound.Examples include:* arsanilic acid* arsenamide* arsenates* arsenites* arsphenamine* p-azobenzenearsonate* cacodylic acid* melarsoprol* roxarsone...
spray can be used.
Habitat
The moth can be found across CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
from Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
to southeastern Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
. The species can be found in deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
woodland, suburbs, and tree-lined city streets.
Caterpillars
The caterpillarCaterpillar
Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...
s are gray or greenish with dull brownish yellow or rosy stripes. There are scales on each segment and two long spines on the mesothorax
Mesothorax
The mesothorax is the middle of the three segments in the thorax of an insect, and bears the second pair of legs. Its principal sclerites are the mesonotum , the mesosternum , and the mesopleuron on each side...
. The caterpillars pupa
Pupa
A pupa is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation. The pupal stage is found only in holometabolous insects, those that undergo a complete metamorphosis, going through four life stages; embryo, larva, pupa and imago...
te in a short time. They feed on the foliage of oak trees, maple trees, birch trees, and hazel trees
Hazel
The hazels are a genus of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate northern hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family Betulaceae, though some botanists split the hazels into a separate family Corylaceae.They have simple, rounded leaves with double-serrate margins...
. The caterpillar overwinters in the soil as a pupa
Pupa
A pupa is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation. The pupal stage is found only in holometabolous insects, those that undergo a complete metamorphosis, going through four life stages; embryo, larva, pupa and imago...
. Caterpillars that are newly hatched or are in the middle of growing feed in groups while caterpillars that are in the late stage of growing or are fully grown feed separately. The head of the caterpillar is large in proportion to its body. The length of the caterpillar is one-eighth of an inch. The inside of the mouth is yellow. The legs are semi-translucent. The caterpillar is gregarious. The caterpillar moves from leaf to leaf and from twig to twig after they finish one leaf. Many full-grown caterpillars can be found together in late September.