Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
832
trees and nursery stock. Eurasiatic. Widely distributed
in Europe.
DESCRIPTION
Adult female:
40-45 mm wingspan; wings white; body
with a bulbous, yellow tip.
Adult male:
30-40 mm
wingspan; wings white, with black markings on the
trailing edge of each fore wing; antennae strongly
bipectinate; body with a conspicuous yellow anal hair
tuft.
Larva:
up to 35 mm long; velvet-black,
prominently marked with white, and with an interrupted
bright red, black-centred dorsal stripe; sixth and seventh
abdominal segments each with an eversible orange
dorsal gland; body hairs long and whitish; head black.
Pupa:
15-16 mm long; dark brown; plump and slightly
hairy.
832
Male white satin moth (
Leucoma salicis
).
Leucoma salicis
(Linnaeus) (
832
)
syn.
Stilpnotia salicis
(Linnaeus)
White satin moth
A local pest of poplar (
Populus
) and willows such as
grey willow (
Salix cinerea
) and pussy willow
(
S. caprea
); other hosts in mainland Europe include
birch (
Betula
), crab-apple (
Malus
) and snowy mespilus
(
Amelanchier laevis
). Eurasiatic; introduced into North
America. Widely distributed in Europe.
LIFE HISTORY
Adults occur in late July and August. Eggs are laid in
batches on the twigs of host plants and then coated with
hairs from the female's anal tuft. They hatch 7-10 days
later. Larvae then feed gregariously for a short while
before spinning small (
c
. 6 mm long), roughly oval,
greyish cocoons under flakes of bark or in other
sheltered positions. Individuals hibernate within these
cocoons, and become active again in the spring. The
larvae continue to feed on the foliage until about June.
They then pupate in oval, greyish-brown, silken
cocoons which incorporate numerous body hairs. Adult
moths emerge a few weeks later.
DESCRIPTION
Adult:
45-55 mm wingspan; wings satin-white to
creamy white and thinly scaled; male much smaller than
female and with antennae strongly bipectinate.
Egg:
0.65-0.85 mm diameter; light green.
Larva:
up to
45 mm long; hairy and mainly reddish brown, with a
bright red and distinctive white patch on each segment,
and a blue subspiracular line; pinacula orange-red to
orange; head blackish grey to black.
DAMAGE
Larvae cause slight defoliation but numbers present on
ornamentals are usually small.
LIFE HISTORY
Moths appear in July or August. Eggs are laid in batches
on the twigs of host plants and then coated with a white
secretion incorporating hairs from the female's
abdomen. Larvae emerge from late August onwards.
They feed for a short time and then spin small webs in
which to hibernate. Activity is resumed in the spring,
usually in April. The larvae feed ravenously, often in
groups, and complete their development in late June or
early July. They then pupate in silken cocoons spun in
crevices in the bark of host trees. Adults emerge a few
weeks later.
DAMAGE
Larvae destroy the foliage and, if numerous, cause
severe defoliation. This affects the growth and
appearance of host trees.
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