Explanation of Names
Compsilura concinnata (Meigen 1824)
Size
Pupa 6.5 mm long. Adult 7.5 mm long.
Identification
Four deep black stripes on the thorax and lots of bristles.
Range
native to the Palaearctic; introduced and established in ne. US and se. Canada (west to MB-MN-IL, south to VA) and along the Pacific Coast (BC-CA)
(1)Food
hosts: over 200 spp. in dozens of families in Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera, and Coleoptera
(1)(2)
It attacks some pest species such as forest tent caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria), satin moth (Leucoma salicis) and brown-tail moth (Euproctis chrysorrhoea) in addition to the spongy moth. But it also feeds on other moths and butterflies, particularly in the families Nymphalidae and Saturniidae.
Life Cycle
Female injects a single larva into the host's midgut or body cavity. She produces about 100 larvae, sometimes lays several eggs in one host. Larvae remain in this stage until host pupates, then emerge from host and pupate.
Life cycle is flexible, this enables it to parasitize many different kinds of hosts.
3–4 generations year. It overwinters in the immature stage of the host.
Remarks
Introduced from Europe to combat the
spongy moth (Lymantria dispar) around 1906. Since then it has spread to attack many native species, including some threatened ones. (
Elkinton & Boettner 2004)
Organophosphates are very toxic to Compsilura but remain tolerant to synthetic insecticides like carbaryl and permethrin.
Internet References
Invasive.org The effects of Compsilura concinnata, an introduced teneralis tachinid on non target species in North America. A coutionary tale.