Eupithecia placidata (Taylor)

Latin name: Eupithecia placidata (Taylor)
French name:
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Geometridae

Description

Distribution

British Columbia

This species occurs throughout the interior host range south of Williams Lake, British Columbia; it also occurs south to California.

Micro-habitat(s)

Scale

Damage, symptoms and biology

Eupithecia placidata is a relatively uncommon innocuous solitary defoliator.

Mature larva up to 20 mm long. Twig mimic, strongly resembles dead or brown juniper twig. Head, greenish brown with dark markings. Body, rusty brown; dark U-shaped marking on dorsum behind head capsule; fine dark middorsal pinstripe; dorsum marked with dark wishbone pattern.

This species overwinters in the pupal stage. Adults emerge in July; larvae are present from mid-July to September and pupation occurs in 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)

The principal host of Eupithecia placidata is Rocky Mountain juniper; this species has also been recorded from western redcedar.

Main host(s)

Rocky Mountain juniper, western redcedar

Secondary host(s)

Black cottonwood, common juniper, eastern white pine, lodgepole pine, Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir, subalpine fir, western hemlock, white birch

Photos

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

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