White prominent

The white prominent (Leucodonta bicoloria) is a moth belonging to the family Notodontidae. It is widely recognized by its distinctive wing pattern, featuring a bright white ground color decorated with yellow and dark brown spots. Despite its somewhat delicate appearance, the species is known to reach population densities that classify it as a potential forest pest.

The primary host plants for the larvae of this species are birch (Betula) species. Occasionally, the pest may also be found on alder trees. In forestry and ornamental gardening, this insect is significant because its larvae feed on the foliage, which can impair the growth and aesthetic value of the trees they inhabit.

The life cycle of the white prominent typically involves one generation per year. The moths emerge in early summer, and after mating, females deposit eggs on the undersides of the leaves. The larvae go through several developmental instars, feeding voraciously throughout the summer months before spinning a cocoon to pupate in the soil or under bark crevices for the winter.

The damage caused by the larvae is characterized by leaf defoliation. In the early stages, larvae skeletonize the leaves, but as they mature, they consume the entire leaf blade, leaving only the primary veins. Severe infestations can lead to significant canopy loss, particularly in younger trees, putting them under physiological stress and reducing their resilience.

Effective management and control strategies include the following steps:

• Monitoring adult flight activity using pheromone or light traps to determine the start of the infestation.
• Conducting manual inspections to remove cocoons from tree trunks during the dormant season.
• Targeted application of biological insecticides containing Bacillus thuringiensis during the early larval stages.
• Applying chemical insecticides if the economic injury level is exceeded, ensuring applications are performed when larvae are most vulnerable.