- Scientific name: Zeiraphera vancouverana McDunnough
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Lepidoptera
- Family: Tortricidae
Distribution
- British Columbia
Damage, symptoms and biology
Zeiraphera vancouverana is a common pest of Sitka spruce sometimes causing visible damage to new terminal shoots.Mature larva up to 11 mm long. Head and thoracic shield golden brown. Body, purplish brown with a subdorsal creamy yellow stripe; two pairs of prominent dark dorsal spots (pinnacula) on the dorsum of each abdominal segment.
This species overwinters in the egg stage. Larval emergence begins in late May, coinciding with the opening of the new buds. Larvae are present from late May to June. Once the larvae are mature, they drop to the ground where they pupate. Pupation lasts up to 3 weeks. Adults emerge from July to early 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)
Zeiraphera vancouverana is restricted to Sitka spruce.Main host(s)
Secondary host(s)
Photos
Robert W. Duncan Centre de foresterie du Pacifique, Victoria (Colombie-Britannique) / Pacific Forestry Centre, Victoria, British Columbia
Dorsal view of mature larva, on Sitka spruce.
Robert W. Duncan Centre de foresterie du Pacifique, Victoria (Colombie-Britannique) / Pacific Forestry Centre, Victoria, British Columbia
Figure 2. Dorsal view of mature larva, on Sitka spruce.
Robert W. Duncan Centre de foresterie du Pacifique, Victoria (Colombie-Britannique) / Pacific Forestry Centre, Victoria, British Columbia