Proteoteras willingana
Encyclopedia
The Eastern Boxelder Twig Borer Moth (Proteoteras willingana) is a moth
of the Tortricidae
family. It is found in southern Canada
and the eastern United States
, west through the Great Plains.
The wingspan
is 15-25 mm. Adults are grey-mottled with wings with a white to pale brown fuscous ground colour overlaid with streaks, rings, and clusters of yellowish tan to black scales. Adults are on wing from late June to late July in Canada.
The larvae feed on Acer negundo
and possibly other Acer
species. Young larvae feed along the veins or midribs, usually on the lower leaf surfaces. They construct shelters of webbing and frass
. Third instar larvae move to the base of petioles and bore into dormant leaf buds. The species overwinters in it’s fourth instar stage within a silken cocoon within a dormant leaf bud. After winter, the larvae leaves their shelter and burrow into another bud. A single larva destroys two to three buds during the fourth instar. Fifth instar larvae bore into the new stem growth of twigs and terminals and feed within the swollen or galled shoots. When full-grown, the larvae drop to the ground and construct pupation cells in the humus layer of the soil.
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...
of the 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...
family. It is found in southern 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...
and the eastern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, west through the Great Plains.
The 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...
is 15-25 mm. Adults are grey-mottled with wings with a white to pale brown fuscous ground colour overlaid with streaks, rings, and clusters of yellowish tan to black scales. Adults are on wing from late June to late July in Canada.
The larvae feed on Acer negundo
Acer negundo
Acer negundo is a species of maple native to North America. Box Elder, Boxelder Maple, and Maple Ash are its most common names in the United States...
and possibly other Acer
Acer
Acer may refer to:* Acer , the genus of trees and shrubs commonly known as Maple, from the Latin word ācer meaning sharp* Acer Inc., a Taiwan-based international computer company...
species. Young larvae feed along the veins or midribs, usually on the lower leaf surfaces. They construct shelters of webbing and frass
Frass
Frass is the fine powdery material phytophagous insects pass as waste after digesting plant parts. It causes plants to excrete chitinase due to high chitin levels, it is a natural bloom stimulant, and has high nutrient levels. Frass is known to have abundant amoeba, beneficial bacteria, and fungi...
. Third instar larvae move to the base of petioles and bore into dormant leaf buds. The species overwinters in it’s fourth instar stage within a silken cocoon within a dormant leaf bud. After winter, the larvae leaves their shelter and burrow into another bud. A single larva destroys two to three buds during the fourth instar. Fifth instar larvae bore into the new stem growth of twigs and terminals and feed within the swollen or galled shoots. When full-grown, the larvae drop to the ground and construct pupation cells in the humus layer of the soil.