Introduction
The copper underwing caterpillar, the larval stage of the moth Amphipyra pyramidoides, is a common sight in the deciduous woodlands of southeastern Canada and the eastern United States. While the adult moth is known for its distinctive copper-colored hindwings, the caterpillar is recognized by its blue-green body, cream and yellow spots and stripes, and a noticeable hump on its eighth abdominal segment. This article delves into the dietary habits of the copper underwing caterpillar, exploring its food sources and feeding behaviors.
What the Copper Underwing Looks Like
The Copper Underwing has forewings that are typically dull tan, brown, or gray with wavy lines that mimic the random patterns of tree bark. Almost all of them have hindwings that are bright coppery-orange with contrasting bold dark patterns. However, these hindwings are rarely visible in live moths, as they tend to keep their forewings together, covering the hindwings. The Copper Underwing is woodland moth which can be found walking along tree trunks, where they blend in. Legs have black and white bands on them.
Dietary Versatility of the Copper Underwing Caterpillar
The copper underwing caterpillar is a solitary feeder with a broad host range, consuming the foliage of numerous woody plant species. This makes it a polyphagous insect, meaning it can feed on a variety of different plants.
A Diverse Menu
The caterpillar's known food sources include:
- Apple
- Ash
- Basswood
- Birch
- Blueberry
- Cherry (including chokecherry)
- Chestnut
- Currant
- Grape
- Greenbrier
- Hawthorn
- Hickory
- Lilac
- Maple
- Oak
- Poplar
- Raspberry
- Redbud
- Rhododendron
- Viburnum
- Virginia creeper
- Walnut
- Willow
This extensive list demonstrates the caterpillar's ability to thrive in various environments and adapt to different food sources. The caterpillars are not very discriminating feeders - Owlet Caterpillars of Eastern North America says that they are commonly found on “almost any nonconiferous woody plant”.
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Feeding Habits and Behavior
Caterpillars are typically found on the undersides of leaves, where they feed. The caterpillars also have a tendency to feed on a leaf for a bit, and then move to another leaf so that predators that hunt by looking for leaf damage will have to hunt through a lot of damaged leaves to find the one that has a caterpillar on it. They quickly move on to new leaves so that bird predators cannot find them by searching for their feeding damage. This behavior minimizes the risk of predation by birds and other animals that rely on visual cues to locate their prey. This is a crucial adaptation for survival.
Not a Pest Species
Despite its wide range of host plants, the copper underwing is not generally considered a pest species. The damage caused by its feeding is usually minimal and does not significantly impact the health or productivity of the host plants.
Life Cycle and Seasonal Feeding
The copper underwing has one generation per year (univoltine). Gravid females lay eggs through mid autumn, and the eggs overwinter. When the eggs hatch in the spring, Copper Underwings grow through all their multiple larval stages. Hatching season is as early as June in some climates but they usually hatch July to October. Larva can be found as early as April in some climates but usually emerge in May-June. The caterpillars feed voraciously during the spring and early summer months, accumulating the energy reserves needed for pupation and eventual metamorphosis into the adult moth.
Adult Diet
Butterflies and moths have a different diet during their larval caterpillar phase than they do as winged adults. Adult Copper Underwings feed at night on the leaves of deciduous trees.
Habitat and Distribution
This common and widespread species occurs in dry, deciduous woodlands of southeastern Canada and the eastern United States. The territorial heat map showcases (in red) the states and territories of North America where the Copper Underwing may be found (but is not limited to). This sort of data is useful when attempting to see concentrations of particular species across the continent as well as revealing possible migratory patterns over a species' given lifespan. Some insects are naturally confined by environment, weather, mating habits, food resources and the like while others see widespread expansion across most, or all, of North America. States/Territories shown above are a general indicator of areas inhabited by the Copper Underwing.
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Identification
The caterpillar is pale green and has a peak-shaped hump near the rear end. It is often parasitized by wasps and other insects and their white capsule-shaped eggs may be sticking to its body.
Interesting Facts
While walking out on Clover Weevil Road on June 9, 2012, Sandy found this green caterpillar with a distinctive hump on its rear. It was eating leaves from a chokecherry bush. She says it bit her hand twice, fairly painfully, while she was carrying it back to the house (although it didn’t draw blood). When I saw it, I thought that it looked very familiar for some reason. And then, when I picked up my copy of Owlet Caterpillars of Eastern North America, I saw why it looked so familiar - it was one of the caterpillars pictured on the cover! So, it turned out to be a Copper Underwing caterpillar, Amphipyra pyramidoides. I put it in a jar with some chokecherry leaves, where it burrowed into the leaves and pupated.
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