Aspen Carpenterworm(Acossus populi)Latin Name: Acossus populi
Common Name: Aspen Carpenterworm
Appearance:
The aspen carpenterworm (Acossus Populi) belongs to the Cossidae family of moths.
Adults of the aspen carpenterworm have 40-50 mm wingspans, whereas aspen carpenterworm adult moths have 50-60 mm wingspans.
Adults of both species have mottled grey wings and bodies, similar to those of the adult carpenterworm.
These Acossus species’ larvae have off-white bodies with brown patches, dark brown heads, and dark brown thoracic shields.
Host plants:
Poplar Cottonwoods and poplars are described as general hosts; quaking aspen is recognized as specialized.
Territory:
It may be found in Nevada, Colorado, California, and the northern Rocky Mountains of the United States. It is found in Ontario and British Columbia, Canada.
Damage caused by Aspen Carpenterworm:
These wood-boring insects typically go unnoticed in the trees they attack until they have caused significant harm. Trees that have been attacked by one or more of these borer species are typically structurally compromised and vulnerable to wind and snow breaking, especially if they have been attacked repeatedly. Trees can become stressed due to a severe attack, leaving them more vulnerable to other threats such as drought and disease—small quantities of sap flow from these entrance sites in many circumstances. Large volumes of frass will build at the base of a tree when badly harmed. When you split the branches or stem of an infected tree, you’ll find wood filled with feeding tunnels.
Life history and Habits:
Adults emerge in July and lay their eggs in host tree bark fissures. Young larvae make large tunnels in the wood after tunnelling beneath the bark. The life history is unknown; the hosts and geographical range are comparable to those of A. centerensis, as are the behaviors and development.
