UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
BULLETIN No. 900 
Contribution from the Bureau of Entomology 
L. O. HOWARD, Chief 
Washington, D. C. 
PROFESSIONAL PAPER 
December 11, 1920 
GRAPEVINE LOOPER. 
By DWIGHT ISELY, 
Scientific Assistant, Deciduous Fruit Insect Investigations. 
CONTENTS. 
Introduction , 1 
Distribution 1 
Pood plants. 2 
Systematic history 2 
Economic history 3 
Description of stages 3 
Life history and seasonal history. 
Habits 
Economic importance 
Control. 
Literature cited 
Page. 
.. 4 
.. 10 
.. 12 
.. 13 
.. 13 
INTRODUCTION. 
The grapevine looper (Lygris diversilineata Hubn.) * is an insect 
enemy of the grapevine and Virginia creeper, causing injury by 
defoliating them. It is one of a group of leaf-feeding caterpillars 
known as geometrids, or measuring worms, of which the cankerworms 
are among the best known. It has been known as a grapevine pest 
for more than 70 years and occasional accounts of damage due to it 
have been published, but hitherto accounts of its biology and seasonal 
history, in particular, have been incomplete. The present paper is a 
record of studies of its biology and control, conducted at North East, 
Pa., in the Erie-Chautauqua grape belt during the seasons of 1916 
and 1917. 2 
DISTRIBUTION. 
The grapevine looper is found in northeastern Lmited States and 
southern Canada. In the literature of the species its occurrence 
is noted from the foUowing States: Massachusetts, New York, 
Illinois C£); 3 Maine, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan (8); Wis- 
consin (10); and Missouri (18). It has also been recorded from 
1 Order Lepidoptera, family Geometridae. 
2 The writer wishes to thank Mr. E. R. Selkregg for preparing abstracts of most of the literature cited 
herein, Mr. J. K. Primm for assistance in life-history studies in 1916, and Mr. J. H. Paine for preparing all 
illustrations except Plates III, A, and IV, B. 
3 Reference is made by number (italic) in parenthesis to " Literature Cited," p. 14. 
1834°— 20 
