Adults are present from around mid-August to early October 
and deposit their eggs singly or in small groups on moss, lichens, 
or bark on limbs and trunks. Winter is spent in the egg stage 
and hatching occurs in June. Young larvae feed on opening 
shoots; older ones, on old needles. Needles are often chewed off 
at the base and drop; others, incompletely chewed off, usually dry 
out, turn brown, then drop. Pupation takes place in bark crev- 
ices, or in masses of lichens on or near the bark (186). 
Hemlock looper outbreaks may develop very suddenly, the most 
serious ones occurring in mature and over-mature hemlock and 
balsam fir stands. 
Lambdina athasaria pellucidaria (G. & R.) occurs in several 
Atlantic Coastal States and feeds on pitch, red, shortleaf, and 
possibly other pines. Several widespread outbreaks have been 
recorded during the past 60-odd years. The adult is ash gray to 
smoky in color and has a wingspread of about 37 mm. The fore- 
wing is crossed by two irregular diffuse dusky lines and bears a 
slightly sinuate discal dot. The hindwing is also crossed by a 
dusky line. Full-grown larvae are pale straw to yellow with black 
markings and are 25 to 37 mm. long. The body bears faint rows 
of blackish dots and short wavy lines on the top and sides, and 
the head is densely marked with light and dark spots. 
Adults emerge in May and June and lay their eggs on the 
needles. The larvae feed on the needles until late September. 
Winter is spent in the pupal stage in the duff beneath the trees. 
Lambdina athasaria athasaria (Walker) occurs on hemlock in 
several Eastern States. Local outbreaks have occurred in Massa- 
chusetts, Connecticut, and Ohio. The adult resembles the adult of - 
L. athasaria pellucidaria except for a slightly narrower wing- 
spread. Full-grown larvae are yellowish and about 30 mm. long. 
The head is marked with irregular brown to blackish spots. The 
top of the body is lighter than the sides. The sides are marked 
with wavy lines of dark or reddish brown, interrupted with 
dashes of white. Winter is spent in the pupal stage on the ground, 
just beneath the top crust of the leaf mold. Larvae are present 
from July to late September. L. endopiaria (G. & R.) has been 
observed on oak in the Northeastern States. 
The chain-spotted geometer, Cingilla catenaria (Drury), occurs 
in eastern Canada and the Northeastern States. It has many hosts 
including gray and paper birch, oak, poplar, willow, wild cherry, 
balsam fir, larch, and white spruce. Young white and red pines 
growing in mixture with the above hosts are also subject to heavy 
defoliation. Blueberries, huckleberries, and small trees growing 
in pastures and cutover areas are especially subject to infesta- 
tion. Local outbreaks have been recorded frequently in the North- 
eastern States. 
The adult has a wingspread of 30 to 42 mm. The head and part 
of the thorax are orange yellow; the body white with black mark- 
ings. The wings are smoky white and black spotted. Full-grown 
larvae are straw-colored and about 50 mm. long. The head and 
body are dotted with black spots, those on the sides of the body 
producing chain-like effects. There also are three or four thin 
lines below these rows of dots. Winter is spent in the egg stage. 
Larvae are present from June to August. 
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