The scientific name of this insect is *Dendrolimus punctatus* Walker, which belongs to the order Lepidoptera. It is commonly known as the pine caterpillar and is found in various regions across China, including Henan, Shaanxi, Jiangsu, Anhui, Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, and Taiwan.
This pest primarily attacks several species of pine trees, such as *Pinus massoniana*, *Pinus thunbergii*, *Pinus taiwanensis*, *Pinus elliottii*, and loblolly pine. The larvae feed on the needles, often consuming entire foliage, which can cause severe damage to pine forests, sometimes giving them a burned appearance. In recent years, infestations have become more common in low mountain and hilly areas.
The insect’s toxic hairs can cause skin irritation or redness when they come into contact with human skin. Additionally, these hairs may contaminate water sources, posing a risk to public health.
Adults have a body length of 20–35 mm. Females have wings measuring 48–80 mm, while males have slightly smaller wings (38–62 mm). Their coloration varies, ranging from yellow-brown to gray-brown and dark brown. The forewings feature 4–5 dark brown horizontal lines, a white spot in the middle chamber, and 8–9 near-crescent-shaped dark brown patches along the sub-terminal line. Males tend to be darker, with more distinct markings and feathery antennae, while females are larger and have shorter, toothed antennae and a thicker abdomen.
Eggs are oval, about 1.4 mm long, pink in color, and turn dark purple when hatching. They are laid in clusters on pine needles. The final instar larvae can grow up to 40–80 mm long, with colors ranging from reddish-brown to black. They have blue and black toxic hair bands on their thorax and back, with yellow-white hairs between the bands. These larvae also have white long hairs along the sides and a white longitudinal stripe running from the mid-thorax to the eighth abdominal segment.
The pupae are elongated, gray to brown in color, and covered with toxic hairs.
In terms of life cycle, the species has two generations in Henan and the Yangtze River Valley, two to three generations in Anhui, and up to four or five generations in southern regions like Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan. Overwintering occurs in bark crevices or coniferous trees, with larvae emerging in March of the following year. Adults emerge in May and live for 5–9 days. The first generation of larvae appears in early June, followed by the second in August, and the third in late September. Some larvae enter diapause in mid-August, while others continue to develop and pupate in September. By November, the next generation begins to overwinter.
Adults are attracted to light and usually lay eggs at night. Each female can lay dozens to hundreds of eggs, with an egg stage lasting 6–11 days. Larvae go through six instars, with the first two being gregarious and the later stages becoming more solitary. When disturbed, older larvae often curl their heads downward and raise their body hairs. The larval stage lasts 34–56 days, with the last instar taking 11–22 days to pupate. The insects can spread over long distances, especially when food is scarce.
Control methods include planting mixed forests to support natural predators, applying insecticides such as 50% malathion emulsifiable concentrate (1000 times dilution) or 50% killer pine soluble emulsifiable concentrate (1000 times), and using 90% trichlorfon (900 times). Other options include spraying 2.5% trichlorfon powder at 3 kg per 667 m² or mixing DDVP, malathion, and second-line oil in a 1:1:3 ratio for ultra-low-volume sprays. Pyrethroid-based sprays like 2.5% deltamethrin or 20% cypermethrin can also be used. Biological control involves releasing 100,000 *Trichogramma* wasps per 667 m² during the adult egg-laying phase.
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