speckled green fruitworm moth

not listed

NNR - Unranked

not listed

Speckled green fruitworm moth is an early season, medium-sized owlet moth. It occurs throughout the United States and southern Canada. It has been reported in every state except Florida. It is common in Minnesota. Adults are found from late March to late May in deciduous woodlands and forests, parks, and fruit orchards. It is one of the first adult moths to emerge in the spring. Mature larvae (caterpillars) are active from late March to late May on the early growth of a wide variety of deciduous trees and shrubs, including alder, apple, ash, autumn olive, cherry, chokecherry, crabapple, elm, gooseberry, hickory, maple, oak, plum, poplar, and willow. It has also been found on spruce.

Adults are ¾″ to ⅞″ (20 to 23 mm) long and have a wingspan of 1¼″ to 1⅝″ (32 to 42 mm).

The forewing is grayish-brown with distinct lines and spots and little to a moderate amount of brown or reddish-brown mottling. They are sparsely to moderately peppered with dark scales. There is a circular (orbicular spot) spot in the upper median area and a kidney-shaped spot (reniform spot) at the end of the discal cell. Both spots are large, bordered with white, and the same color as the ground in the center. The reniform spot has a conspicuous black spot in the inner half. There is no club-shaped spot (claviform spot) between the orbicular spot and the inner margin. There are several dark wavy lines, including the basal line in the basal area; the antemedial (AM) line between the basal and median areas; the median line which passes through the median area; the postmedial (PM) line that separates the median area from the postmedial area; the terminal line at the outer margin; and the subterminal (ST) line, between the PM line and the terminal line. The basal line is reddish-brown but is usually covered by the a tuft of hairs on the top of the thorax. The AM line is reddish-brown and broadly curved downward. It is sometimes indistinct or even absent. The median line is broad, dark in the center, and diffuse on the edges. It is strongly curved downward in the middle into the reniform spot and upward approaching the inner and leading (costal) margin. The PM line is scalloped and consists of a series of dark dots. The ST line is conspicuous, thin, pale, and slightly curved downward in the middle. The terminal line consists of a line of black dots, one at the end of each cell. The fringe is dark.

The hindwings are grayish-brown with a dark discal spot. They are sparsely to moderately peppered with dark scales. The fringe is pale.

The head and thorax are the same color as the forewings. On the upper side of the thorax there is a tuft of hairs that is variably light, dark, or light grading to dark. The antennae are threadlike on both the male and the female.

Late stage (instar) caterpillars are 13 ⁄16″ to 19 ⁄16″ long and light green or bluish-green. They have abundant creamy-white speckling; a broad, white, continuous, longitudinal stripe down the middle (middorsal stripe) bordered with thin, medium green lines; and a thin, broken, white line in the subdorsal area on each side. The breathing pores (spiracles) are pale with very thin black rims. A conspicuous white line runs above the spiracles on the first through seventh abdominal segments (A1 through A7) and below the spiracles on A8 and the first segment of the thorax (T1). The head is pale green and unmarked except for a pale crescent running through each eye.

Total length: ¾″ to ⅞″ (20 to 23 mm)

Wingspan: 1¼″ to 1⅝″ (32 to 42 mm)

Deciduous forests and woodlands, parks, fruit orchards

One generation per year: late March to late May

Adults are active at night and will come to lights.

Pupa overwinter

Early growth of a wide variety of deciduous trees and shrubs, including alder, apple, ash, autumn olive, cherry, chokecherry, crabapple, elm, gooseberry, hickory, maple, oak, plum, poplar, and willow. It has also been found on spruce.

Sources

21, 24, 29, 30, 71, 75.

Widespread and abundant

Location: Woodbury, Minnesota