Tortricidae

Proteoteras

Acer negundo

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BugwoodWiki

Eastern forest insects

Forest Insects and Diseases in the Northern Great Plains: A Survey

Guide to Insect Borers in North American Broadleaf Trees and Shrubs

Identification of hardwood insects by type of tree injury, North-Central Region

Insects of Eastern Forests

Key to shelterbelt insects in the northern great plains

Proteoteras willingana

Proteopteryx willingana sp. nov.

the larvae are gall-makers on the twigs of Negundo aceroides [Acer negundo], the box elder.

A New Proteopteryx

Proteopteryx willingana Kearf. 

Proteopteryx willingana Kearf. (Negundo twig-borer) is more or less injurious each season to twigs of the Manitoba maple. The caterpillar bores into the young twigs, causing them to develop into elongated hollow galls within which the caterpillar lives and feeds, extruding the excrement through a hole in the side. The caterpillars reach full growth in June and pupate either in the ground beneath the trees or, less frequently, within the galled twigs.

Injurious shade tree insects of the Canadian Prairies

Proteoteras willingana

The larva is a gall maker in terminal twigs and leaf steams of box elder.

Distribution: British Columbia, Saskatchawan, ND, KS, MO, IL, OH, MD, DC

Host: Negundo aceroides [Acer negundo]

Revision of the North American Moths of the Subfamily Eucosminae of the Family Olethreutidae

Proteoteras willingana (Kearf.) (Boxelder twig borer) 

This borer was present in nearly 24 percent of the boxelder locations examined. It was widespread, and most of the infestations were classified as trace to light. In one area the infestation level was considered moderate. In recent years this species has become somewhat troublesome in the Northern Great Plains, particularly in southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba. By 1955 it had caused considerable injury to boxelder in shelterbelts and ornamentals ( Prentice and Hildahl 1956). Since then this infestation has declined (Prentice and Hildahl 1958, 1959). In North Dakota it was first noticed as a nursery problem but has since become a problem on shelterbelts. Each larva may kill a new shoot ( fig. 3 ) and potentially could cause considerable injury. 

Proteoteras willingana

Hosts. — Boxelder in nurseries, windbreaks, and shelterbelts and as ornamentals in the northern Great Plains

Injury. — The boxelder twig borer destroys the dormant buds in the fall as well as in the spring, and tunnels in the current season's shoots (fig. 64). These shoots are killed and terminal growth prevented; forking and occasionally twig breakage result. In heavy infestations many of the twigs on a single tree will be infested and the trees will become bushy. 

Proteoteras willingana

The boxelder twig borer, Proteoteras willingana Kft., attacks boxelder and maple in many of the Northern and Midwestern States and southern Canada. The larva destroys dormant leaf buds in the fall and early spring. Later in the spring, it burrows in succulent twigs (fig. 146), causing the formation of spindle-shaped galls (594). These galls become woody when they dry out. This usually prevents further terminal growth. Severe damage has been recorded in shelterbelt plantings in the Prairie Provinces of Canada. 

Proteoteras willingana

Twiggall, gradual swelling with entrance hole in bottom half. Boxelder. May to July.

Proteoteras willingana 

The boxelder twig borer, Proteoteras willingana (Kearfott) (Peterson 1958), is a pest of boxelder grown in shelterbelts and as shade trees in the Great Plains, especially in Saskatchewan, Alberta, and North Dakota. The larvae destroy dormant buds in the fall and early spring and then burrow in the developing shoots, causing spindle-shaped galls. Repeated attacks cause excessive branching. Larvae are yellowish white with brown to almost black heads. Larvae, mostly fourth-instar, spend the winter in cocoons in hollowed-out, dormant leaf buds. There is one generation annually. 

Western Forest Insects

Proteoteras willingana 

The boxelder twig borer, P. willingana (Kearfott), attacks boxelder and maple in many of the Northern and Midwestern States and southern Canada. The larva destroys dormant leaf buds in the fall and early spring. Later in the spring, it burrows in succulent twigs (fig. 55). causing the formation of spindle-shaped galls (982). These galls become woody when they dry out. This usually prevents further terminal growth. Severe damage has been recorded in shelterbelt plantings in the Prairie Provinces of Canada. 

Three species of Proteoteras that mine boxelder (Acer negundo) twigs have similar morphology, life cycles, ranges, and damage characteristics. Attractants of the male moth can be used to identify the species present at a site.

Insects of windbreaks and related plantings: distribution, importance, and management

Proteoteras willingana

Hosts: Boxelder, maple. Boxelder is the major, possibly only, host (Peterson 1958). However, other maples have been mentioned as hosts (MacAloney and Ewan 1964)

Two kinds of injury are important. The first, observed mostly in Canada, is the destruction of dormant buds from mid-August to early fall and from late April to early May (Anonymous 1971). The second, larval burrowing in succulent growing shoots, causes stem breakage stunting, and mortality. Fine, dark brown or black frass often protrudes from entrances a few centimeters below the apex or from the shoot tip. Feeding activity stimulates infested twigs to enlarge abnormally, forming spindle-shaped, gall-like swellings. Larval entrance holes can be found usually toward the lower ends of the galls. Burrows become quite extensive, resulting in tunnels 25 mm or longer. Splitting the swollen shoots reveals tunneling larvae. It attacks trees of any age, from first-year seedlings in nurseries to mature trees in urban and rural plantings. This borer occurs in almost all boxelder plantations in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. Up to 50% of the new growth may become infested with up to 30 twigs infested on a stem. New shoots are often killed or break, and terminal growth is prevented. Heavy outbreaks stunt established trees by killing much of the current tip growth on twigs and branches. Secondary branching results, and when this growth is also destroyed, the affected trees may fork repeatedly, becoming bushy and undesirable as shade trees (MacAloney and Ewan 1964).

Range: Throughout the eastern United States west through the Great Plains. Also found in southern Canada. Most troublesome in the Great Plains of the United States and the Prairie Provinces of Canada, where boxelder is grown extensively for shade and farm shelterbelts (Peterson 1958)

Proteoteras willingana 

Hosts: Boxelder, maple. Boxelder is the major, possibly only, host (Peterson 1958). However, other maples have been mentioned as hosts (MacAloney and Ewan 1964)

Two kinds of injury are important. The first, observed mostly in Canada, is the destruction of dormant buds from mid-August to early fall and from late April to early May (Anonymous 1971). The second, larval burrowing in succulent growing shoots, causes stem breakage stunting, and mortality. Fine, dark brown or black frass often protrudes from entrances a few centimeters below the apex or from the shoot tip. Feeding activity stimulates infested twigs to enlarge abnormally, forming spindle-shaped, gall-like swellings. Larval entrance holes can be found usually toward the lower ends of the galls. Burrows become quite extensive, resulting in tunnels 25 mm or longer. Splitting the swollen shoots reveals tunneling larvae. It attacks trees of any age, from first-year seedlings in nurseries to mature trees in urban and rural plantings. This borer occurs in almost all boxelder plantations in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. Up to 50% of the new growth may become infested with up to 30 twigs infested on a stem. New shoots are often killed or break, and terminal growth is prevented. Heavy outbreaks stunt established trees by killing much of the current tip growth on twigs and branches. Secondary branching results, and when this growth is also destroyed, the affected trees may fork repeatedly, becoming bushy and undesirable as shade trees (MacAloney and Ewan 1964).

Range: Throughout the eastern United States west through the Great Plains. Also found in southern Canada. Most troublesome in the Great Plains of the United States and the Prairie Provinces of Canada, where boxelder is grown extensively for shade and farm shelterbelts (Peterson 1958)

This species is one of at least three Proteoteras species apparently known to bore twigs of Acer negundo. It isn't clear at the moment whether swellings on that host can be confidently ascribed to a particular moth species without rearing an adult. P willingana is much more commonly reported causing this symptom and photographs of its gall match those commonly observed exclusively on Acer negundo, so it seems reasonable to assume such swellings are caused by this species. However, without clearer information about the damage and host relationships of P aesculana, obnigrana, and arizonae, some uncertainty remains.  

Gallformers ID Notes