Eupithecia niphadophilata (Dyar)

Latin name: Eupithecia niphadophilata (Dyar)
French name:
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Geometridae

Description

Distribution

Alberta, British Columbia

This species is distributed throughout the host range in British Columbia south of 54⁰ latitude; it also occurs in mountainous western Alberta and south to New Mexico.

Micro-habitat(s)

Scale

Damage, symptoms and biology

Eupithecia niphadophilata is a common innocuous solitary defoliator.

Mature larva up to 20 mm long. This species has two distinct colour morphs. The more common green morph has a greenish yellow head. Body, yellowish green with both a yellow and dark green herringbone pattern on the dorsum; dark green middorsal and subdorsal stripes; broken alternating white and yellow stripe along the lateral flange. The brown colour morph has similar markings.

This species appears to overwinter in the egg stage. Larvae are present from mid-May to early August; pupation occurs from July to August, and adults emerge from late July to September.

Canadian Forest Service Publications

https://cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/publications/search?q=

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)

Eupithecia niphadophilata is restricted to Rocky Mountain juniper and common juniper.

Main host(s)

Common juniper, Rocky Mountain juniper

Secondary host(s)

Western redcedar

Photos

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

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