Hosts: Maple, oak, linden, beech, apple, birch, elm, hickory and
other hardwoods Evidence: In the spring, look for larvae that
move in typical inchworm fashion. Linden loopers are dull-to-
brightly yellow-sided (a). Bruce spanworm larvae are variable in
color, ranging from vivid green to dark brown, with three thin
yellow lines on each side of the body (b). Spiny loopers are
pinkish with hairy tubercles and black lines running their
length (c), and fall cankerworm larvae range from very light
green to dark brownish-green. The head and anal segments are
also variable in color, ranging from pale green to black or
mottled. Darker larvae may have a longitudinal black stripe,
while lighter color forms have white lines running their length
(d). Though larger loopers tend to feed voraciously, consuming
all but the mid rib and larger veins, younger larvae may work as
skeletonizers (eg., fall cankerworm) or give leaves the
appearance of Swiss cheese (eg., Bruce spanworm). Life Cycles:
Each of these loopers has one gene