Cone-beetle
Guides
Conophthorus
cone beetles
Conophthorus is a genus of bark beetles in the family Curculionidae comprising approximately 10 described species. Species are specialized on Pinus hosts, with most attacking pine cones and seeds, though some infest shoot tips. The genus includes economically significant pests of pine seed orchards and natural forests, causing cone abortion and reducing seed production. Life histories vary among species: some are univoltine while others are bivoltine, with corresponding differences in seasonal development and host utilization patterns.
Conophthorus ponderosae
lodgepole cone beetle, sugar pinecone beetle, ponderosa pine cone beetle
Conophthorus ponderosae is a scolytine bark beetle in the family Curculionidae that specializes in attacking the cones of pine trees, particularly Pinus ponderosa (ponderosa pine) and Pinus monticola (western white pine). The species is known as a significant pest in seed orchards and natural stands, where heavy infestations can severely reduce seed production. Research has documented its response to host monoterpenes including myrcene, which exhibits both repellency and toxicity effects, and its sex pheromone system involving pityol compounds. The species occurs across western North America and has been the focus of semiochemical-based management research due to the difficulty of conventional insecticide applications in some habitats.