History of the Hemlock Looper, Lambdina fiscellaria fiscellaria (Guen.), (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) in Newfoundland, and Notes on Its Biology

Abstract

The hemlock looper, Lambdina fiscellaria fiscellaria (Guen.), has been an important forest pest in Newfoundland for many years. Outbreaks have been reported from widely separated parts of the Island and in most cases the mortality of balsam fir, Abies balsamea (L.) Mill, has been high.An investigation of the biology of the insect was commenced in 1950 at Lake St. George where two separate infestations had appeared in 1949. These infestations died out in 1951 and only limited information was obtained on some aspects of the investigation. As there is little prospect of continuing field studies in the near future, the results to date are being reported.