Agonopterix alstroemeriana

Adult moths are pale brown, almost tan, with a lighter colored area near the bottom of their wings and a few darker spots found near the edges of the wings. They have a distinguishing brown or reddish spot near the center of each wing. As eggs, they have a pale, off-white color. As caterpillars, they are yellow with a black head. After growing in size (to around 10 mm), the caterpillars are thin and have a light green color, with three prominent stripes on the sides of their bodies, which are a darker green. == Distribution ==

Range A. alstroemeriana is a wide-ranging species native to Europe, that has more recently spread to North America, Australian and New Zealand. After that, Agonopterix alstroemeriana spread quickly throughout the United States. It was found in the Pacific Northwest in 1983–1985, possibly spread by the accidental shipping of dormant moths. The species has been breeding in New Zealand since 1986 and it is likely that the moth then spread from New Zealand to southern Tasmania, where its presence was discovered in 2019. Habitat The poison hemlock moth can be found wherever its host plant (Conium maculatum) occurs. Thus, the moth is most commonly seen in open fields and roadsides in suburban and rural locations. == Behavior ==

Leaf rolling The caterpillars in earlier instars form tubes from the leaves of Conium maculatum by rolling the leaves together using a secreted webbing material. Older caterpillars make tubes from the flowers and seed heads as well as the leaves. Abandoned tubes can regularly be found on the poison hemlock plant because, if disturbed or attacked, the caterpillar will wriggle free of the tube and onto the ground as a predation defense mechanism. == Life cycle ==

Eggs Around 200 small eggs are laid by the female, and they are placed on the underside of the leaves of their host plant, Conium maculatum. As eggs, they have a pale color. The caterpillar may also benefit from the toxic alkaloids present in the poison hemlock host plant because they may increase the ability of A. alstroemeriana to recognize Conium maculatum as the correct location for oviposition. Pupa They pupate for 2 weeks in the soil, usually from late May to early June. The color of pupa is red-brown, with fine hairs densely located. The length of pupae is approximately 6–7 mm. Adult After pupating, the moths emerge from the soil as adults. This adult emergence usually occurs in mid- to late- June. The adults must therefore stay alive through the winter in order to breed during the spring. Adults generally live from June to March, making A. alstroemeriana a relatively long-lived moth species. == Native predator emergence in Great Lakes ==

Recently, A. alstroemeriana has been predated upon by a wasp species, Euodynerus foraminatus native to the United States, which is part of the family Eumenidae of Hymenoptera. This wasp is known for paralyzing the larvae of Lepidoptera, now including the hemlock moth, in order to feed it to its young. This newfound predator may limit the effects that A. alstroemeriana have in defoliating C. maculatum. == Biological control usage ==

A. alstroemeriana can now be found throughout the United States. In locations where it has intentionally been released as a biological control agent, the species has rapidly established itself. In already established areas for the moth, like the Pacific Northwest, A. alstroemeriana can cause serious damage to the poison hemlock plant; wherein hundreds of larvae exist on individual host plants. Large areas of Conium maculatum can be killed when caterpillars of A. alstroemeriana exist at these densities. Behavioral and physiological effects of alkaloids The effects that the alkaloids in Conium maculatum cause on the moth, both physiologically and behaviorally, are relatively unknown. Persons interested in the biological control capabilities of A. alstroemeriana see behavioral dependency on the host plant as an asset when using this moth as a biological control agent, because this reduces the possibility of the moth affecting other species besides the host plant. Preliminary research has not found any negative physiological effects caused by the high alkaloid toxicity of poison hemlock. The moth may actually benefit from the alkaloids present in its feeding behavior. ==References==