Species Synanthedon scitula - Dogwood Borer - Hodges#2549

2549

Pecan Borer

Synanthedon scitula (Harris, 1839)

Aegeria scitula Harris, 1839

Trichilium scitula

Sesia scitula

* phylogenetic sequence #079850

Specific name scitula from Latin meaning "beautiful."

Body length about 10 mm; wingspan 14-20 mm; forewing length 5-9 mm. (1), (2)

Larva to 15 mm. (3)

Adult - steely-blue or black body with thin yellow band on second abdominal segment, and wider yellow band on fourth segment; rounded anal tuft on tip of abdomen (triangular or pointed in many other species); forewing transparent with dark outer margin.

Larva - body cream colored, reddish brown head and two similarly colored spots on the prothoracic shield. (3)

Southeastern Canada and eastern Unites States, west to Minnesotam Colorado and Texas. (4), (1), (5), (3)

Recently found in the Northwest. (4)

Deciduous woods, parks, yards, river floodplains.

Adults fly from March to September. (3)

Larvae bore into the largest number of host species amongst the Sesidae, including beneath bark of various trees and shrubs such as apple, bayberry, black cherry, blueberry, beech, birch, chestnut, dogwood, elm, hazel, hickory, mountain-ash, oak, pecan, pine, willow. A notorious pest of flowing dogwoods and pecans. (2), (3)

One or two generations per year; overwinters as a larva beneath bark of living tree or shrub, and pupates in spring; pupa stage lasts 25 days, then adults emerge and eggs are laid singly in wounds on tree; eggs hatch in about 9 days and go through seven larval stages in galleries beneath tree bark; adult lifespan about a week. Young larvae very sensative to low humidity. (3)

They attack their hosts via abnormal growths, woody galls, excretions from fungus, rusts, blight, bruises, and healing wounds.(6)

Males attracted to (Z,Z)-3,13-ODDA pheromone lures (Meyer & Cranshaw, 1994).

A single larvae can kill a dogwood 4" in diameter in one year.(6)

Beutenmüller, W. 1901. Monograph of the Sesiidae of America, north of Mexico. Memoirs of the American Museum of Natural History 1(6): 298-299, pl.31, f.25 (7)

Brown, L.N. & R.F. Mizell, III 1993. The Clearwing Borers of Florida (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae). Tropical Lepidoptera 4(4): 1-21 (PDF) (2)

Covell Jr., C.V. 1984. A field guide to Moths of Eastern North American. Houghton Mifflin Company. p.426, plate 60 #21 (8)

Engelhardt, G.P. 1946. The North American Clear-wing Moths of the family Aegeriidae. United States National Museum Bulletin 190: 114-116, pl.25, f.152 (9)

Meyer, W.L. & W.S Cranshaw 1994. Capture of Clearwing Borers (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae) with three synthetic attractants in Colorado. Southwestern Entomologist 19(1): 71-76 (PDF)

Solomon, J.D. 1995. Guide to insect borers in North American broadleaf trees and shrubs. USDA Forest Service Agriculture Handbook AH-706: 65-68, f.24 (download menu) (3)

Moth Photographers Group

Featured Creatures - Univ. Florida

U. of FL

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD)

description plus biology, host plants, injury, etc. (Entomology Dept., Virginia Tech)