leaf folder - NW defoliator - Herpetogramma abdominalis Puyallup, Pierce County, Washington, USA June 2, 2010 Size: around an inch
These are eating parts of my Rudbeckia. I've collected two of them. Hopefully, I can raise them successfully.
Here is what Eric Lagasa had to say about this larva:
"Possibly . . .
If the folded-leaf refuge this critter created was noticeably full of frass (very messy and ugly), it suggests the species involved is the Pyralid - Herpetogramma pertextalis. The larva in your image is definitely a Pyralidae/Crambidae (with all those raised verrucae (warts) on the body), and H pertextalis is very abundant at times on a huge range of host plants (native and exotic ornamental species) in Western WA. If the refuge was full of frass (which you would have noticed), not only is it likely H pertextalis, but if you look around on filbert, strawberries, violets (and other odd plants) around the site where you got this one, you'll probably find more of it on other plants (confirming the species, eh?)."
The leaf is full of messy frass... so ID seems likely. I'm still hoping to raise it to adult.
Images of this individual: tag all Contributed by Lynette Elliott on 2 June, 2010 - 12:00pm Last updated 28 March, 2016 - 1:01pm |