DISTRIBUTION:

Ormiscodes cinnamomea (wingspan: males: 60-73mm; females: 83-91mm) flies in
Chile: Valparaiso; Santiago; Concepcion; Malleco; Isla de Chiloe and in
Argentina: Neuquen; Rio Negros and Chubut.

Synonyms: Dirphia amphimone F. Berg; Catocephala amphimone F. Berg.

The moth is cinnamon brown in color with a small white spot on each forewing.

Ormiscodes cinnamomea male, Osorno, Chile,
April 1966, on my home computer only.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Ormiscodes cinnamomea is single brooded throughout most, if not all, of its range (possibly two generations/annum in northern Chile). Adults are on the wing from February to June with larvae evident between March and October.

Native hosts are the southern beech, Nothofagus spp. In southern Chile, the larvae historically defoliated Nothofagus (the SA equivalent of beech and oak). However, Nothofagus forests are being converted to the faster growing radiata pine. Over the past 30 years, attacks on radiata pine have increased (from a few noted in a nursery) drastically enough to cause economic damage, and now O. cinnomomeai is a major defoliator of radiata pine.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING: Females extend a scent gland from the tip of the abdomen, and the night-flying males pickup and track the airbourne pheromone plume with their well-developed antennae. Adults rest during the day on the foliage or trunks of pines or other hosts, flying only at night. Both males and females respond to light. Females tendtobe larger and darker than males. Ormiscodes cinnamomea female in typical resting pose, copyright protected, Kirby Wolfe.

Ormiscodes cinnamomea female, Chiloe Island, Chile,
April 1966, on my home computer only.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

This pest overwinters as small (2 mm long), oval eggs in rings around branches and needles of infested trees.

Eggs can be found most commonly during the summer in masses usually of 200 to 300 eggs.

Incubation lasts 49 to 120 days.

Early instar larvae typically feed gregariously, beginning near the top of the tree and proceeding downward, completely defoliating smaller pines. Late instar larvae become more widely dispersed on host trees and understory vegetation.

The Ormiscodes cinnamomea larva has a black head capsule and a black body, the latter covered with reddish-brown branching urticating spines. They have three pairs of red legs on the thorax and five pairs of red pro-legs on the abdomen.

Ormiscodes cinnamomea larva, copyright protected, Kirby Wolfe.

Upon completing its development, the mature larva crawls down the host tree in search of a protected place to pupate. Pupation takes place from the end of October until the middle of March (with some geographical variation). Pupae may be found in the duff at the base of host trees, under fallen trees or logs, and occasionally in bark niches on the lower trunk of infested trees.

Larval Food Plants

It is hoped that this alphabetical listing followed by the common name of the foodplant will prove useful. The list is not exhaustive. Experimenting with closely related foodplants is worthwhile.

Cupressus Juglans regia Nothofagus obliqua Nothofagus glauca Populus nigra Pinus radiata Pseudotsuga menziesii........ Schinus latifolius Schinus molle various fruit trees Chilean shrubs

Cypress English walnut Beech Beech Black poplar Monterey pine Douglas fir Peppertree California peppertree various fruit trees Chilean shrubs

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