Croesia semipurpurana
Encyclopedia
Acleris semipurpurana is a species in the moth
family Tortricidae
, and one of several species of moth commonly known as Oak leaftier or Oak leaf tier. The larvae feed on the leaves of oak
trees in the Eastern United States
and southeastern Canada
. It can be a major cause of defoliation in oak trees. The loss of leaves can kill or damage the affected trees, which are chiefly in the Lobatae or red oak section of Quercus or oaks.
Adult Acleris semipurpurana moths lay single eggs on oak tree branches in June; these overwinter and hatch the next April. The larvae eat tree buds and young leaves, then tie leaves together with silk (hence the name). They nest and eat inside the tied leaves, then pupate in the leaf litter on the floor in May or June. After a week or two the adult moths emerge, mate and lay the next generation of eggs.
in June each year, typically as single eggs on rough-bark twigs, typically "second year branches". The eggs overwinter and hatch in spring of the next year. The larva
e (or caterpillar
s) emerge in April and initially eat the bud
s of oak trees and young leaves inside them. When fully grown, the larvae are 12 millimetre (0.47244094488189 in) long and are "dirty white to light green" with "a pale brown head and black to brown front legs". Other identifying characteristics in the larvae are a long head with a black bar found on the cheek or lower portion, and brown legs on the thorax
. The larvae tie leaves together with silk, which gives the insect its common name. The larvae feed and nest inside the tied or folded leaves until they are ready to pupate in mid to late May.
The larvae leave the trees to pupate, descending to the ground on silken threads. The pupa
e are commonly found in the leaf litter on the forest floor beneath the oak trees. After one or two weeks in the pupal stage, the adult moths emerge in late May or June. The moths are small with a wingspan
of 12 millimetre (0.47244094488189 in); the wings have a characteristic bell shape. Wing color can vary considerably. Some forewings are yellow while others have dark brown or even purple markings. The adults mate and lay eggs - only one generation of moths is produced annually. Acleris semipurpurana was first described by Kearfott in 1909.
and adjoining portions of southeastern Canada
. It has been found in US states ranging from New York
, Massachusetts
, Connecticut
and Pennsylvania
in the northeast to Minnesota
and Texas
in the west, as well as the Canadian province of Ontario
. The oak leaftiers feed mainly trees in the Lobatae or red oak section of Quercus or oak trees: Specifically on Eastern Black Oak, Northern Red Oak, Pin Oak, Scarlet Oak, and Scrub Oak. Several species of moths are referred to with the common name Oak leaftier, most from the Tortricidae family, but also from "three other minor families". Of these species Acleris semipurpurana is the most common and one of the most important for defoliation. In addition to the Oak leaftiers, other pest species will often feed on the same trees, including Archips semiferanus
and other Oak leafrollers.
The young larvae eat the buds and either destroy developing leaves, or cause leaves to develop with many holes in them. This can severely stress the tree's food reserves, and the older larvae can eat nearly all the remaining leaves, defoliating them. When trees are defoliated two or more years in a row, this leads to "branch dieback, loss of diameter growth, and tree decline". The Oak leaftier has caused "considerable tree mortality", especially in the Appalachian
region. Dead wood in affected trees is attacked by fungi such as the shoestring root fungus and wood borers like the twolined chestnut borer. A major outbreak occurred in the 1960s and 1970s in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia
, and West Virginia
. Tiadaghton State Forest
in north central Pennsylvania was especially hard hit. Natural methods of pest control usually are sufficient to keep Croesia semipurpurana populations in check, but chemical pesticide
s are sometimes needed.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
family Tortricidae
Tortricidae
Tortricidae is a family of moths, commonly known as tortrix moths, in the order Lepidoptera. Tortricidae is a large family with over 9,400 species described, and is the sole member of the superfamily Tortricoidea. Many of these are economically important pests. Olethreutidae is a junior synonym...
, and one of several species of moth commonly known as Oak leaftier or Oak leaf tier. The larvae feed on the leaves of oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
trees in the Eastern United States
Eastern United States
The Eastern United States, the American East, or simply the East is traditionally defined as the states east of the Mississippi River. The first two tiers of states west of the Mississippi have traditionally been considered part of the West, but can be included in the East today; usually in...
and southeastern Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It can be a major cause of defoliation in oak trees. The loss of leaves can kill or damage the affected trees, which are chiefly in the Lobatae or red oak section of Quercus or oaks.
Adult Acleris semipurpurana moths lay single eggs on oak tree branches in June; these overwinter and hatch the next April. The larvae eat tree buds and young leaves, then tie leaves together with silk (hence the name). They nest and eat inside the tied leaves, then pupate in the leaf litter on the floor in May or June. After a week or two the adult moths emerge, mate and lay the next generation of eggs.
Life cycle and description
Oak leaftier moths lay their eggsEgg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
in June each year, typically as single eggs on rough-bark twigs, typically "second year branches". The eggs overwinter and hatch in spring of the next year. The larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e (or caterpillar
Caterpillar
Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...
s) emerge in April and initially eat the bud
Bud
In botany, a bud is an undeveloped or embryonic shoot and normally occurs in the axil of a leaf or at the tip of the stem. Once formed, a bud may remain for some time in a dormant condition, or it may form a shoot immediately. Buds may be specialized to develop flowers or short shoots, or may have...
s of oak trees and young leaves inside them. When fully grown, the larvae are 12 millimetre (0.47244094488189 in) long and are "dirty white to light green" with "a pale brown head and black to brown front legs". Other identifying characteristics in the larvae are a long head with a black bar found on the cheek or lower portion, and brown legs on the thorax
Thorax (insect anatomy)
The thorax is the mid section of the insect body. It holds the head, legs, wings and abdomen. It is also called mesosoma in other arthropods....
. The larvae tie leaves together with silk, which gives the insect its common name. The larvae feed and nest inside the tied or folded leaves until they are ready to pupate in mid to late May.
The larvae leave the trees to pupate, descending to the ground on silken threads. The pupa
Pupa
A pupa is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation. The pupal stage is found only in holometabolous insects, those that undergo a complete metamorphosis, going through four life stages; embryo, larva, pupa and imago...
e are commonly found in the leaf litter on the forest floor beneath the oak trees. After one or two weeks in the pupal stage, the adult moths emerge in late May or June. The moths are small with a wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
of 12 millimetre (0.47244094488189 in); the wings have a characteristic bell shape. Wing color can vary considerably. Some forewings are yellow while others have dark brown or even purple markings. The adults mate and lay eggs - only one generation of moths is produced annually. Acleris semipurpurana was first described by Kearfott in 1909.
Range and impact
Acleris semipurpurana is found in the eastern United StatesEastern United States
The Eastern United States, the American East, or simply the East is traditionally defined as the states east of the Mississippi River. The first two tiers of states west of the Mississippi have traditionally been considered part of the West, but can be included in the East today; usually in...
and adjoining portions of southeastern Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It has been found in US states ranging from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
and Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
in the northeast to Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
and Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
in the west, as well as the Canadian province of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. The oak leaftiers feed mainly trees in the Lobatae or red oak section of Quercus or oak trees: Specifically on Eastern Black Oak, Northern Red Oak, Pin Oak, Scarlet Oak, and Scrub Oak. Several species of moths are referred to with the common name Oak leaftier, most from the Tortricidae family, but also from "three other minor families". Of these species Acleris semipurpurana is the most common and one of the most important for defoliation. In addition to the Oak leaftiers, other pest species will often feed on the same trees, including Archips semiferanus
Archips semiferanus
Archips semiferanus is a species of moth in the family Tortricidae, and one of several species of moth commonly known as Oak leafroller or Oak leaf roller...
and other Oak leafrollers.
The young larvae eat the buds and either destroy developing leaves, or cause leaves to develop with many holes in them. This can severely stress the tree's food reserves, and the older larvae can eat nearly all the remaining leaves, defoliating them. When trees are defoliated two or more years in a row, this leads to "branch dieback, loss of diameter growth, and tree decline". The Oak leaftier has caused "considerable tree mortality", especially in the Appalachian
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
region. Dead wood in affected trees is attacked by fungi such as the shoestring root fungus and wood borers like the twolined chestnut borer. A major outbreak occurred in the 1960s and 1970s in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, and West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
. Tiadaghton State Forest
Tiadaghton State Forest
Tiadaghton State Forest is a Pennsylvania State Forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #12. The forest is chiefly in western and southern Lycoming County, with small portions in Clinton, Potter, Tioga, and Union counties....
in north central Pennsylvania was especially hard hit. Natural methods of pest control usually are sufficient to keep Croesia semipurpurana populations in check, but chemical pesticide
Pesticide
Pesticides are substances or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest.A pesticide may be a chemical unicycle, biological agent , antimicrobial, disinfectant or device used against any pest...
s are sometimes needed.