CLOSED: Insect lovers - help with a colorful Ohio critter?

gardenwife Newark, OH(Zone 5b) Sep 23, 2003

I posted it in wildlife rather than ID - but can some of you insect folks head over that way? http://davesgarden.com/t/400412/

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Calalily Deep South Coastal, TX(Zone 10a) Sep 23, 2003

Ailanthus webworm moth. Here is a link http://www.marylandmoths.com/Moths/Yponomeutidae/Atteva_punctella.html

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gardenwife Newark, OH(Zone 5b) Sep 23, 2003

Oh wow - THANK YOU CALA!

Evidently their cats consume the leaves of one of the non-native, invasive trees in Ohio, so they're not all bad:

AILANTHUS WEBWORM PROVIDES HOPE

Joe Boggs reported that this week's BYGLive! participants in Cincinnati observed ailanthus webworm (Atteva punctella) nests on tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima). Larvae of this ermine moth produce the nests by pulling 2-3 leaflets around a network of loose webbing. They then consume the leaflets bound by the webbing. These webworms are capable of defoliating their odoriferous namesake - unfortunately such extreme damage is rare. However, hope springs eternal since this is one of only a few pests known to infest this non-native, invasive tree.

The caterpillars can grow up to 1" to 1-1 /2" long and they have a wide, light greenish-brown stripe down their backs and several thin, alternating white and olive green stripes along their sides. They are sparsely covered with short, erect hairs, which help to suspend the caterpillars within the webbing. When disturbed, the caterpillars move backwards out of the nest and drop towards the ground on strands of silk. Several larvae were found per nest and they ranged from early to late instar stages. A pupa was also found.

-- Buckeye Yard and Garden Line (BYGL aka Beagle): http://bygl.osu.edu/bygl0020.html

This message was edited Sep 23, 2003 12:52 PM