Lambdina pellucidaria

The pine looper, also known as the eastern pine looper, can at times be a serious defoliator of its host plants. Slender, dark brown pupae overwinter in the leaf litter beneath host plants. In New England, adult moths emerge by and begin to lay their oval, pale green eggs (eggs turn to yellowish-tan as they mature) in approximately May and June. Adults are mottled brown and gray in color. Heavy flights of adults may be noted in June during outbreak years. Young larvae feed by chewing notches from their host plant needles. This type of feeding leads to the needles turning straw brown. Needles browning in this manner can be a first sign of the activity of this insect. The caterpillars are also known as inchworms due to their pattern of movement. Once mature, larger caterpillars are capable of feeding on the entire needle. Fully grown caterpillars are approximately 1.2 inches long, mottled brown and gray in color, with mottled gray stripes extending down the body. The caterpillar activity increases in September and October, at which point major defoliation may occur if the population is large enough. A single generation per year is noted for this species, with outbreaks of pine looper activity historically occuring on Cape Cod in 10-year cycles. Some scientists question the separation of this species (eastern pine looper) with Lambdina athasaria, given similar flight periods of the adults and females of both species being responsive to the same sexual attractant chemicals. For now, Lambdina pellucidaria is considered to be a different species.