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Updated as per Lemaire's Hemileucinae 2002, March 5, 2011 |
TAXONOMY:Superfamily: Bombycoidea, Latreille, 1802 |
"Someone to Watch |
The ground colour of the male is ochre, suffused with white. The discal spot is yellowish-white. The antemedial (angulate) and postmedial lines (convex and wavy) are dark. The female is similar but ground colour has a pinkish tinge.
In his Hemileucinae, 2002, Lemaire describes lauta as a slightly smaller, more easterly, lighter form
of the nominate subspecies. He indicates the median area, accept around the cell spot is more heavily suffused with whitish scales as compared to
Ormiscodes amphinone amphinome.
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.
In the sixth instar larvae have black heads. The skin is
olive green with a sprinkling of tiny yellow dots. Dorsal, subdorsal
and lateral stripes are yellow. Dark, olive-green scoli are short.
FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:
Ormiscodes lauta is probably single brooded throughout most,
if not all, of its range. Adults are likely on the wing from
February to March with larvae evident between September-November.
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.
EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS, AND PUPAE:
The egg stage is the
overwintering stage (April-September). Grayish white eggs are
deposited in rings, encircling host twigs.
Early instar larvae typically feed gregariously and form nests for
molting.
Late instar larvae (six instars)
become more widely dispersed on host trees and understory
vegetation.
Malus |
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