Anisota virginiensis

Anisota virginiensis, the pink-striped oakworm moth, is a species of silk moth of the family Saturniidae.

Anisota virginiensis

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Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Saturniidae
Genus: Anisota
Species:
A. virginiensis
Binomial name
Anisota virginiensis
(Drury, 1773)
Synonyms
  • Phalaena virginiensis Drury, 1773
  • Phalaena pellucida Smith, 1797
  • Anisota sinulis Riotte, 1970
  • Anisota virginiensis pellucida (Smith, 1797) [1]
  • Anisota virginiensis discolor Ferguson, 1971 [1]

Description

The female's wings are purplish red with ochre-yellow. They have thin scales and are almost transparent. The male's wings are purplish brown with a large transparent space in the middle.[2] The female is larger than the male. The wing span is 4.2 to 6.6 centimeters.

Habitat

The moth can be found across Canada from Nova Scotia to southeastern Manitoba,[3] and in the United States. It lives in deciduous woodlands and suburbs.[4]

Biology

Females release a pheromone which attracts males that swarm around her like bees. Mating occurs during the morning.[3] It is a rapid process. The male and female stay together for the rest of the day and then the female finds a place to lay eggs, usually under oak leaves.[3]

The caterpillars are gray or greenish with dull brownish yellow or rosy stripes. There are scales on each segment and two long spines on the mesothorax.[2] The caterpillars pupate for a short time.[3] They feed on the foliage of oak trees, maples, birches, and hazels. 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 those that are mature or nearly so feed separately.[5] The caterpillar is about an eighth of an inch long. The head is large in proportion to the body. The inside of the mouth is yellow. The legs are semi-translucent.[6]

Ecology

Conservation regimes are not required for this species.[4] It is considered a pest of forests because it defoliates trees.[5] Outbreaks can be treated with an arsenical spray.[7]

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References
  1. Tuskes, Paul M.; P. Tuttle, James; Collins, Michael M. (1996). The wild silk moths of North America: a natural history of the Saturniidae of the United States and Canada. Cornell University Press. p. 250.
  2. Henry Comstock, John; Botsford Comstock, Anna (1899). A manual for the study of insects. Comstock Pub. Co. pp. 348. Anisota virginiensis.
  3. M. Tuskes, Paul; P. Tuttle, James; M. Collins, Michael (1996). The wild silk moths of North America: a natural history of the Saturniidae of the United States and Canada. Cornell University Press. pp. 74–75. ISBN 978-0-8014-3130-2.
  4. "Pink-striped oakworm moth Anisota virginiensis (Drury, 1773)". Butterflies and Moths of North America. Archived from the original on 2008-05-31. Retrieved 2010-05-29.
  5. L. Hyche, L. "Pinkstriped Oakworm Anisota virginiensis (Drury) (Saturniidae)". Auburn University. Retrieved 2010-05-29.
  6. Entomological Society of Ontario; Ontario. Dept. of Agriculture; Ontario. Legislative Assembly (1908). Annual report, Volumes 38-41. The Society. pp. 74. Anisota virginiensis.
  7. Massachusetts Agricultural Experiment Station (1914). Bulletin on Forestry, Volume 1, Issues 156-435. p. 32.
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