Locust Twig Borer – Ecdytolopha insiticiana

Locust Twig Borer (Ecdytolopha insiticiana)

Latin Name: Ecdytolopha insiticiana

Common Name: locust twig borer

Appearance:

Ecdytolopha insiticiana has a similar appearance to other species in the genus. However, males and females are distinguished by genitalic characteristics.

• The wingspan is between 20 and 25 mm.
• Ecdytolopha insiticiana has Dark brown at the base, light grey or white at the apex, and a dark brown stain on the dorsum of the tornus.
• The male genitalia are distinguished by a rounded regimen, long valvae, and deciduous cornuti in the vesica.
• The ostium is put in a deep invagination of sternum VII, and there are two signs in the corpus bursae.

Host Plants:

Black locust is the major larval host (Robinia pseudoacacia).

Territory:

Ecdytolopha insiticiana is found across the United States and southern Canada, though it is more widespread in the East.

Damages caused by Locust Twig Borer:

The larvae develop on Robinia pseudoacacia. Seedling stem pith, stump sprouts, and fresh stem development of older trees are all food for the larvae. Feeding damage causes stem dieback, which limits growth and leads to weakening stems.

Description about root, tuber, and bulb feeders:

Bulb mites can invade root, tuber, and bulb like onion and garlic in the field and storage. They may survive in the wild on decomposing foliage until it is degraded. In the low desert, these pests are not yet a concern. Bulb mites can impede plant development and restrict the availability of root and tuber foods such as onions and garlic. These mites also induce bulb rot in storage by piercing the outer layer of bulb tissue and allowing rot-causing microorganisms to gain passage.

Life History and Habits:

Ecdytolopha insiticiana has two yearly generations in the north and one in the south. Adults can be seen from May to June, from July to September for the second generation. Females deposit eggs on the host’s news shoots. Larvae burrow into new growth and cause elongate galls to develop. The larvae go through seven instars. The last generation abandons the gall and spends the winter in flattened cocoons of leaf litter. Pupation takes place in the spring.