Scientific name: Xestia praevia (J.B. Smith)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Noctuidae

Distribution

British Columbia

This species is generally distributed throughout the host range in the southern interior of British Columbia; it also occurs south to California.

Damage, symptoms and biology

Xestia praevia is a common innocuous solitary defoliator.

Mature larva up to 27 mm long. This species has two distinct colour morphs. The more common green morph has a green head with black spots. The body is green, with white middorsal and subdorsal stripes and a broad greenish white spiracular stripe. The less common brown morph has a creamy brown head with black bars on the vertices and black netting. The body is brown, with broken greyish middorsal and subdorsal stripes and a broad brownish white spiracular stripe.

This species probably overwinters as a partly grown larva. Larvae are present from May to early July, pupation occurs in July and adults emerge from July to August.

Canadian Forest Service Publications

Diet and feeding behaviour

Phyllophagous: Feeds on the leaves of plants.
- Free-living defoliator: Feeds on and moves about freely on foliage.

Information on host(s)

The principal host of Xestia praevia is ponderosa pine.

Main host(s)

Ponderosa pine

Photos

Dion Manastyrski Centre de foresterie du Pacifique, Victoria (Colombie-Britannique) / Pacific Forestry Centre, Victoria, British Columbia

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