Odonestis pruni

Odonestis pruni
In Hungary
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lasiocampidae
Genus: Odonestis
Species:
O. pruni
Binomial name
Odonestis pruni

Odonestis pruni, also known as the plum lappet moth[1] or the plum eggar,[2] is a species of moth native to Eurasia. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758 and belongs to the family Lasiocampidae. It is a pest insect due to the larvae's consumption of various crops.

Description

The wing colour ranges between yellow[3] and orange, with reddish and brownish markings. On each forewing, there is a distinct white dot in the centre, near which lie two darker bands.[2] Its wingspan is variably described as between 20-30mm[4] or 40-60 mm.[3] Males are paler than females[1] and, like other members of the genus, smaller.[3]

The caterpillar is between 45mm[5] and 70mm[4] long, with a blueish-grey body, brown head and golden lines running up the length of its body. It also may have grey or golden spots.[4][2]

Taxonomy

The moth was first described in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus in his 10th edition of the Systema Naturae. It was originally described as bombyx pruni,[6] though later reclassified in 1812 as the sole member of the newly-constructed odonestis genus. The plum lappet moth has been considered the type species of its genus.[3]

Range

The plum lappet moth has been found across its native Eurasia,[7] and is distributed across the continent from Japan to central Europe.[2] However, this moth is not found in South or Southeast Asia. [3]

Life history

Life cycle

It lays eggs as either small clusters or individuals.[5] These eggs hatch in either fall or later summer, and the larvae will survive through the winter and resume growing in the spring and early summer. After that, the caterpillars will enter a cocoon as they pupate into fully-grown moths.[4][5] Depending on the location of the moth population, they will produce between one and two broods a year. [3]

Genetics

Subspecies

As a result of this specie's wide geographic distribution, there are several known subspecies of this moth.[3]

  • Odonestis pruni pruni is distributed across Europe and Russia. It is the palest subspecies, but a darker variant is known to exist in Sardinia and Corsica.
  • Odonestis pruni rufescens, previously also described as Odonestis pruni japonensis, is distributed across eastern Russia, Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam. It is a darker subspecies. In 1928, odonestis pruni japonensis was described as a separate subspecies living in Japan, but later analysis found it to the same as rufescens.
  • Odonestis pruni oberthueri live in mountainous regions of Tibet, the Eastern Himalayas, and southern China. It is the largest of the species, and daker that the pruni variety. [3]

Interaction with humans

Pest of crop plants

It is considered to be a pest insect, with the larvae living and eating from a variety of stone fruit and alder trees.[2][4] In particular, this species is known to cause damage to the leaves of plum, damson,[1] and cherry trees.[5] In Japan and China, the caterpillar is also known to eat apple and pear trees.[8]

  • A dark grey, and slightly fuzzy, caterpillar resting on the stem of a tree. The caterpillar is surrounded by smooth green leaves.
    An example of the odonestis pruni caterpillar.
  • A dead specimen of dark orange/brown moth, spread out on a white background.
    An adult odonestis pruni with wings fully displayed.

References

  1. ^ a b c Alford, David V (2014). Pests of Fruit Crops: A Colour Handbook (2nd ed.). CRC Press. p. 312. ISBN 9781482254211.
  2. ^ a b c d e Kirby, William Forsell (1913). Butterflies and Moths in Romance and Reality. Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. p. 98.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Sergeev, Alexej I; Zolothuin, Vadim Viktorovich (2010). "A review of the genus Odonestis Germar, 1812 with descriptions of two new species and one new subspecies (Lepidoptera, Lasiocampidae)". Atalanta. 41(3-4): 375–396. ISSN 0171-0079.
  4. ^ a b c d e United States Bureau of Entomology. (1917-08-15). Pierce, Dwight W (ed.). A Manual of Dangerous Insects Likely to Be Introduced in the United States Through Importations. Washington DC, USA: United States Government Publishing Office. p. 112.
  5. ^ a b c d James, David G, ed. (2017). The Book of Caterpillars: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species from Around the World. University of Chicago Press. p. 350. ISBN 9780226287539.
  6. ^ Beccaloni, G.; Scoble, M.; Kitching, I.; Simonsen, T.; Robinson, G.; Pitkin, B.; Hine, A.; Lyal, C., eds. (2003). "​Odonestis pruni​". The Global Lepidoptera Names Index. Natural History Museum. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  7. ^ "Odonestis pruni (Linnaeus, 1758)". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  8. ^ Clausen, Curtis Paul (1931). Insects Injurious to Agriculture in Japan. U.S. Department of Agriculture. p. 19.