Omnivorous Looper

This moth is common in damp coastal forests along the west coast of North America from British Columbia to California.

This species has three generations per year in coastal areas and four or five generations in inland locations. Depending on temperature, egg-to-adult development takes 2 to 5 months. Eggs are barrel-shaped, light green to reddish brown with a ring of tiny projections. Eggs are laid in clusters on leaves of the host plants and hatch after 8 or 9 days. When mature caterpillars are ready to pupate, they make pearly white to brown cocoons, hidden in between leaves. Pupation lasts 1 to 4 weeks. The larva make shelters from silk and folded leaves where they shelter during the day and come out at night to feed. The University of California IPM Program gives a description of the caterpillar: “Young omnivorous looper larvae are pale yellow caterpillars. Older larvae grow to about 2 inches long and are yellow to pale green or pink, with dark brown, black, or green lines along the sides and a gold-colored head. In addition to the three pairs of legs behind the head, omnivorous loopers have two pairs of prolegs (leglike appendages) near the rear on abdominal segments 6 and 10.”