The genista caterpillar , Uresiphita reversalis , also called sophora worm , is the larva of the genista broom moth , Lepidoprera pyralidae . Its native cooking stove is Nova Scotia to Florida , California , Texas , Colorado , Nebraska , Iowa and part of Mexico . It is a tent cat that apply silk to spin a collapsible shelter - like shape in the plant and tree where it feeds . In large numbers , genistas can defoliate a tree or works in favorable condition . belittled figure of them do n’t cause trees any lasting legal injury .

Life Cycle

Genista caterpillars hatch in the downfall from clusters of bantam , cream - colored eggs position on underside of leaves by the female heather moth . They prey during the fall and early winter time of year , and drop the winter in the pupal phase . They hatch into grownup moths in the give , who feed in and mate during the summer . The Caterpillar and moths produce more than one generation in a season .

Favored Food

Genista is the common name for the broom plant , and genista caterpillars are usually found on those plants . They also feed on quite a little laurel and other bush and trees in favorable environmental conditions . The cat eat up raw foliage , buds , shoots and new leaf . The tents and bags they whirl dish up as shelter while they feed .

Identification

Adult genista moth are triangular , light brownness , and only about an 1/2 - inch long . Some have brightness level strip or contraband dots on the outer edges of their wing . The genista caterpillar has a loose brown or fleeceable body with levy dim and white speckle and white haircloth . The head is mordant with whitened dot . The caterpillar is about the same size as a mature moth .

Control

Controls for the genista caterpillar let in high - pressure body of water spray with a hose and broad - spectrum insecticidal sprays . Infested branches need to prune , and feeding insect can be stopped with B thuringiensis . pee spray and pruning are efficient against small universe of genistas . More aggressive applications are require for larger infestations . The good bar method is to eliminate any pick - colored eggs from plant before the caterpillar hatch . Look for them on the underside of leaves of valuable landscape plants in late summertime and early nightfall .

References

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