chenille à houppes rousses

CONT: Rusty tussock moth. ... Larvae attack all conifer seedling species. ... These gregarious caterpillars completely denude a seedling before moving on to the next, and can occur in patches of 5-100 styroblocks. ... The adult male is rusty-brown with a white dot and light brown band on each forewing. The female is flightless, sedentary, with light tan hairs covering the body. The population overwinters as white egg masses which can be cemented to the sides and bottoms of styroblocks. They will adhere to the blocks after seedlings have been lifted and blocks washed and stored. Because the eggs are white, they often go unnoticed. Larvae emerge from these egg masses (often on styroblocks) around May, and actively feed on newly emerged seedlings. They are hairy, up to 28 mm long, have two black hair ""pencils"" projecting forward and one to the rear, four golden brushes of hair on the back, accompanied by eight warty protuberances with yellow and black hairs on each segment.