Barberry Webworm – Omphalocerca dentosa

Barberry Webworm   Scientific Name: Omphalocera dentosa Common Name:  Barberry webworm Appearance: The barberry webworm is a caterpillar-like insect with white spots all over its body. The black or brown larva grows into a greyish moth with a wingspread of almost 2-inches. Its larva is quite thick and camouflages into the stems and twigs with its dark body. Host Plants or Food: Barberry webworms feed on barberry shrubs and completely defoliate the shrub. However, the damage is not permanent, and the shrub can be recovered with time. Territory: Throughout North America, Western USA, Eastern USA Mode of Damage: They damage the plant by chewing on the leaves and destroying all the green foliage. A distinguishing feature of Barberry webworm damage is the formation of webs around the leaves and stems. The leaves and stems are tied up in the webs, after which they start chewing on them. Habits and Life History: Barberry webworms are commonly found in forests, Green lands and other areas where Barberry shrubs are located. They make a web around the Barberry leaves to facilitate the leaf chewing process, hence called webworms. These webworms usually attack the shrubs from late Spring to August, especially during the period of new growth. The infested shrubs are entirely skeletonized; however, new growth is still possible. Even though they do not cause permanent damage to the plants, Spinosad can be used to control the infestation.