Host Plant Suitability of the Orangestriped Oakworm (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae)

Abstract

Abstract Orangestriped oakworm, Anisota senatoria (J. E. Smith), suitability for oak (Quercus sp.) was determined by tree defoliation, percentage survival, developmental rate, pupal weight and oviposition. Suitable hosts, from the greatest to the least, were determined for the following oak species grown in southeastern Virginia: pin oak (Quercus palustris), scarlet oak (Q. coccinea), willow oak (Q. phellos), northern red oak (Q. rubra borealis), and sawtooth oak (Q. acutissima); intermediate in swamp white oak (Q. bicolor), chestnut oak (Q. prinus), southern red oak (Q. falcata), bur oak (Q. macrocarpa), and water oak (Q. nigra); and least in white oak (Q. alba), Planting less suitable species in the urban landscape, like white oak (Q. alba), may contribute to lower A. senatoria populations.