Synanthedon resplendens
Sycamore clearwing moth | |
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Sycamore clearwing moth nectaring on wild buckwheat, San Bernardino County , California, May 2022
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Lepidoptera |
Family: | Sesiidae |
Genus: | Synanthedon |
Species: | S. resplendens
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Binomial name | |
Synanthedon resplendens Hy. Edwards, 1881
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Synonyms | |
Albuna resplendens |
Synanthedon resplendens, also known as the sycamore borer moth, is species of a
Description
Adult
The coloration of the adult moths mimics the coloration of a vespid wasp.[3] Their movements may also be reminiscent of wasps, with "intermittent rapid running and fluttering of wings".[6]
Adults are mostly yellow with black markings on the
This moth's wings are mostly transparent, with yellow- to orange-colored borders.
This species is sexually dimorphic; females are larger than males.[2]
Eggs, pupae, larvae
Egg color is gold[3] or pink.[2] The eggs are about .8 mm (0.031 in) long, ovoid, and have a slightly reticulated (net-like) appearance or texture.[6]
Pupae are about 10 mm (0.39 in), are found in white to brownish silken cocoons, and are a "shining mahogany brown".[6]
Larvae are pinkish to whitish and reach 18 mm (0.71 in) in length; the head is reddish brown.[3]
Life cycle
One generation occurs per year.[3] Adults emerge and are on the wing from May through early August, with greatest emergence in June and July.[3]
The adults only live for about a week,[2] during which time the ovoid, gold-colored eggs are laid singly on the bark in small cracks or depressions.[3] Old or slow-growing trees and injured tissues are favored sites for egg laying and feeding.[3] Larvae rarely damage the cambium or feed in the wood.[3] Pupae are formed just below the bark surface, and protrude through the bark when the adult is ready to emerge.[3] Larvae mine the bark below the surface, producing numerous serpentine feeding tunnels.[3][6] Reddish sawdust-like frass, which larvae expel from tunnels, accumulates in branch crotches or on the ground below the infested area.[3] The outer bark surface over the tunnels becomes roughened after repeated infestations and may produce wet ooze.[3] Larval galleries are most often around the base and the lower trunk of the tree, but may be found in branches up to 9 m (30 ft) above the ground.[6] The tunnels can extend over 100 cm2 (16 sq in).[3] Overwintering occurs as larvae or pupae within the bark tunnels.[3]
Pupal skins may be visible in emergence holes.[3] Emergence holes are round, 3 mm (0.12 in)[3] to 6 mm in diameter, and in oak trees are found exclusively in bark cracks.[7]
Geographic range
The sycamore clearwing moth is found throughout California,[6] into the north as far as Yukon,[8] and at least as far east as New Mexico.[6] The ceanothus clearwing, Synanthedon mellinipennis, overlaps somewhat in range[3] and uses a similar catalog of host plants.[9]
Impact
According to the University of California Integrated Pest Management program, "Sycamores tolerate extensive boring by this insect, and generally no control is recommended."
References
- ^ "Sycamore Borer Moth (Synanthedon resplendens)". iNaturalist. Archived from the original on 2022-09-26. Retrieved 2024-03-17.
- ^ a b c d e Kenmuir, Sylvia (n.d.). "Sycamore Borer" (PDF). Department of Entomology SciLit (entomology.unl.edu). University of Nebraska at Lincoln. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-04-27. Retrieved 2024-03-17.
- ^ doi:10.2737/PSW-GTR-197. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ "Sycamore Borer Synanthedon resplendens (Edwards, 1881)". Butterflies and Moths of North America (www.butterfliesandmoths.org). Archived from the original on 2024-03-17. Retrieved 2024-03-17.
- ^ "Sycamore Borer Moth, Synanthedon resplendens". calscape.org. Archived from the original on 2024-03-17. Retrieved 2024-03-17.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Solomon, James D. (1995). Guide to Insect Borers in North American Broadleaf Trees and Shrubs. Southern Hardwoods Laboratory, Southern Forest Experiment Station (Report). Handbook AH-706. Stoneville, Mississippi: U.S. Forest Service Treesearch Department. pp. 72–75. Archived from the original on 2024-03-17. Retrieved 2024-03-17. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- PMID 26462589.
- from the original on 2024-01-17. Retrieved 2024-03-17.
- ^ "Ceanothus Borer Moth, Synanthedon mellinipennis". calscape.org. Archived from the original on 2024-03-17. Retrieved 2024-03-17.
- ^ "Clearwing Moth Management Guidelines--UC IPM". ipm.ucanr.edu. Archived from the original on 2023-01-23. Retrieved 2024-03-17.