Insect Defoliators of the Southeastern United States

Forest Health Guide for Georgia Foresters

Terry S. Price – Entomologist

http://www.gfc.state.ga.us

Hardwood Defoliators

Greenstriped MaplewormOrangestriped OakwormSpiny OakwormBuck MothOak SkeletonizerForest Tent CaterpillarEastern Tent CaterpillarCatalpa SphinxWalnut CaterpillarVariable Oakleaf CaterpillarGypsy MothLocust LeafminerLarger Elm Leaf BeetleJapanese BeetleYellow Poplar Weevil

Oakworms in the genus Anisota, are common throughout the South and do considerable damage in forest and landscape trees.

Common species are the orangestriped, pinkstriped and spiny oakworms

Lepidoptera Oakworms

Orange Striped Oakworm

Feed on various oaks and sometimes birch and hickory.

Spiny oakworm

The greenstriped mapleworm, prefers maples but will feed on boxelder and oaks

Buck moth larva

The buck moth feeds primarily on oaks.

The oak skeletonizer

Oak SkeletionizerDamage

The oak skeletonizer was responsible for extensive defoliation of chestnut oak over a 300,000–acre area in North Georgia from 1986 to 1999

Forest Tent CaterpillarForms no tent, feeds on many species

Note key-hole shaped spots

Eastern Tent caterpillar

Catalpa sphinx moth.

Walnut caterpillar

Feeds on walnut, butternut, pecan, hickory.

Variable Oak caterpillar

Coleoptera - Hardwoods

Locust leaf miner – nymph, larva and adult

The larger elm leaf beetle

The Japanese beetle

Conifer Defoliators

Spotted Loblolly Pine SawflyVirginia Pine SawflyWhite Pine SawflySlash Pine SawflyHetrick's SawflyWarren's SawflyBlackheaded Pine SawflyRed-Headed Pine SawflyAbbott's SawflyIntroduced Pine SawflyLoblolly Pine SawflyPine WebwormPine Colaspis BeetlePine Chafer BeetleEvergreen Bagworm

Sawflies

Black headed sawfly

Pine webworm

Lepidoptera - conifers

Everygreen bagworm

Pine Colaspis beetle Coleoptera (Conifers)

Pine Colaspis beetle damage

Pine Chafer Beetle

Saddleback caterpillar

Stinging Caterpillars that occur in Southern US

Saddleback caterpillar

Hag Moth Caterpillar

Puss Moth Caterpillar. Most dangerous of theStinging caterpillars – symptoms may last 12 hours

IO Moth Caterpillar

Stinging Rose Caterpillar

Mimicry – pretendingto be somethingyour not so asto keep from being eaten.

Questions to answer for Insect Defoliators:

1) How do polyphagous, oligophagous and monophagous defoliators differ?

2) How is the presence of a defoliator detected and evaluated?3) Describe the basic life cycle of the spruce budworm. In what part of

the U.S. is this insect a problem?4) Describe the basic life cycle of the gypsy moth. What is the potential of

this insect becoming a problem in Alabama?5) Describe the basic life cycle of the Douglas-fir tussock moth. Where is

this insect a problem?6) How do humans contribute to the spread of Gypsy Moth in the United

States? What is one major difference between the Gypsy Moth and the Asian Gypsy Moth.

7) What is ‘Disparlure’ and what is its role in integrated pest management? 8) Why is damage by the Douglas-fir Tussock moth generally more

serious than that caused by the Gypsy Moth? 9) Why would foliage feeding insects generally be more important in the

Southern Region than in some other parts of the U.S.?10) Why are native defoliators generally less of a problem than those

introduced from other countries?