Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Family ZYGAENIDAE
mainly black, marked with purple and yellow. Pupa:
10 mm long; light brown.
A family of small to medium-sized, often brightly-
coloured, day-flying moths, with either bipectinate or
clubbed antennae. Larvae have a small, retractile head
and are often extremely colourful, with clusters of body
hairs arising from large verrucae.
LIFE HISTORY
Adults occur in July, depositing eggs on the bark of host
plants. Eggs hatch in about 10 days. Larvae then feed
for a short time before spinning silken, scale-like
hibernacula, also on the bark of host trees. They then
remain in diapause from mid-summer onwards and do
not recommence feeding until the following spring. In
wetter years, however, when host trees are able to
produce late new growth, feeding is protracted and the
larvae do not form their hibernacula until late summer.
In spring, larvae feed fully exposed on the leaves. If
disturbed, they either drop to the ground or remain
temporarily suspended on a thread of silk. Larvae
complete their development in about three weeks.
They then pupate, each in a broad (8
Aglaope infausta Linnaeus ( 491-493 )
Almond leaf skeletonizer moth
A southerly-distributed pest of hawthorn ( Crataegus )
and other Rosaceae such as blackthorn ( Prunus spinosa )
and Cotoneaster , as well as almond ( Prunus dulcis ) and
rosaceous fruit trees. Most often reported in southern
France, north-western Italy, Portugal and Spain.
DESCRIPTION
Adult: 20 mm wingspan; head and thorax black, the
latter with a red crossband anteriorly; fore wings mainly
greyish black, suffused with red basally, particularly
along the wing margins; hind wings greyish black,
suffused with red, particularly on the apical half;
antennae bipectinate in both sexes. Larva: up to 15 mm
long; body mainly purple, black and yellow, but creamy
white below, with clusters of hairs arising from distinct
verrucae; prothoracic plate relatively large and fleshy,
4 mm), pinkish
or yellowish-white cocoon spun either singly or in
batches on the foliage and developing fruits, or amongst
withered leaves. New adults appear about a month later.
×
DAMAGE
Feeding by overwintered larvae has an adverse effect on
the development of host trees, with leaves grazed
extensively, and often reduced to a skeletal collection of
midribs. In wetter summers, damage caused by young
larvae is also of some significance.
491
491 Adult female of almond leaf skeletonizer moth ( Aglaope
infausta ).
492 Larva of almond leaf skeletonizer moth ( Aglaope
infausta ).
493 Pupal cocoons of almond leaf skeletonizer moth ( Aglaope
infausta ).
492
493
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