Pine Beauty moth larvae stripping pine needles
The photograph is courtesy of the family of George Dey. George took many forestry photographs in his forestry career and many are now shown on this web site. Check under ‘Groups’ and George Dey Collection.
A close up shot of the larvae running out of food on this particular tree as they have devoured all the older and current growing pine needles. At this stage they would either drop down on silk or crawl down the stem and march along the forest floor to the next suitable, or if desperate, any tree and start devouring it. When walking through a heavily attacked stand the larvae droppings or frass was like falling rain.
The PDF contains another view of the larva.
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Groups: Animal, Insect, Plant and Fungal species in forestry, Forestry Areas, Forestry in Action, George Dey Forestry Collection