Butternut Woollyworm – Eriocampa juglandis

Butternut Woollyworm   Scientific Name:  Eriocampa juglandis Common Name:  Butternut woollyworm Appearance:  Butternut woollyworm are actually green caterpillar-like worms with black spots all over their bodies. However, they are also covered with a woolly, white secretion giving them their name. They have a cylindrical body with eight pairs of legs and a black head. The adult grows up to 7 mm in size. Host Plants or Food: Butternut woollyworm majorly feed on walnut leaves; however, they may also be seen on hickories and butternut. Territory: Throughout North America, Western USA, Eastern USA Mode of Damage:  They are leaf chewers and start feeding on the lower side of the leaves, cutting small holes in them. As it grows, the feeding habits become more voracious, eating away everything except the midrib. Habits and Life History: Butternut woollyworm is an exotic worm, usually seen on walnut leaves, and feeds together in groups. The females cut slits on the lower side of the walnut leaves and lay eggs using their ovipositor. It takes the eggs a week to hatch, after which they give rise to larva, feeding on the leaves. The larva feeds on the foliage, and once it has grown enough, it drops to the ground to pupate. It forms a cocoon around itself and pupates in it throughout the winter season to emerge as adults in the summer. They only produce one generation per year.