Fall Cankerworm – Alsophila pometaria #NMW2012

Fall Cankerworm – Alsophila pometaria – Geometridae – Guelph, Ontario

Not all moths have showy wings, or even wings to begin with! The Fall Cankerworm (Alsophila pometaria) is a moderate pest in the landscaping industry as the larvae skeletonize leaves of several different trees and as you can see here the females are completely wingless. Females emerge from the leaf litter in the fall and climb up trees and other vertical objects to attract mates (males are winged). As the name suggests, adults are only active in the fall.

The Fall Cankerworm is host to a variety of tachinid species: Blondelia eufitchiae, Cyzenis albicans, Gonia sagax, Blepharomyia spinosa, Smidtia fumiferanae, Phryxe pecosensis, Phryxe vulgaris, Phorocera slossonae, Tachinomyia nigricans, and Winthemia rufopicta.

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Parasite information from A Host-Parasite Catalog of North American Tachinidae Diptera (Arnaud, 1978).