Pine Webworm – Pococerca robustella

Pine Webworm – Pococerca robustella Common Name: Pine Webworm Latin Name: Pococerca robustella Appearance:  The Pine Webworm moth is a small insect with wings about 10 to 15 mm long. The tips of the branches are brownish-gray with lines and spots that are darker. The caterpillar larvae are about 10 to 12 mm long, light greenish-gray, and have dark spots and a dark head capsule. Host Plants:  The Pine Webworm eats different kinds of pine trees, mainly those in the genus Pinus. Territory:  The Pine Webworm lives in North America, mostly in places where its host plants grow. Damages caused by Pine Webworm:  The Pine Webworm’s larvae make silk webs and eat inside them, usually at the tips of trees. They eat the ends and can strip the tree of its leaves, which makes it weaker and more likely to get other pests or diseases. Infestations that are too bad can stop trees from growing or, in the worst cases, kill them. Life History and Habits: The life cycle of the Pine Webworm includes several stages:

• Egg:The female moth lays eggs in groups on the leaves of host trees. When these eggs hatch, larvae come out.
• Larva:The most demanding stage is the larval stage. The larvae make silk webs out of the needles of the mother tree, which they use to stay safe and eat. The hands inside the web are what they eat.
• Pupa:Once the eggs have finished growing, they become pupae inside the web.
• Adult:Moths that have grown up leave the pupal stage, mate, and lay eggs to begin the cycle all over again.