Conifer-associate
Guides
Acantholyda angulata
Acantholyda angulata is a species of sawfly in the family Pamphiliidae. The genus Acantholyda belongs to a group of primitive sawflies characterized by distinctive morphological features. Members of this family are typically associated with coniferous hosts, though specific host records for A. angulata remain limited. The species is known from very few observations, reflecting either genuine rarity or undercollection.
Aphrophora princeps
cone spittlebug
Aphrophora princeps, commonly known as the cone spittlebug, is a species of spittlebug in the family Aphrophoridae. It is found in western North America, with records from British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California. The species was described by Walley in 1928. Like other spittlebugs, the nymphs produce protective froth masses on host plants.
Arhopalus foveicollis
Pitted Longhorn Beetle
Arhopalus foveicollis is a longhorned beetle (Cerambycidae) described by Haldeman in 1847. It is widely distributed across boreal and montane regions of North America, with records from Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, Labrador, Manitoba) and presumably the northern United States. The species is associated with coniferous forests, particularly pine habitats. Like other members of the genus Arhopalus, it is a wood-boring beetle that develops in dead or dying conifer wood.
Asemum caseyi
Asemum caseyi is a species of longhorned beetle in the family Cerambycidae, described by Linsley in 1957. The genus Asemum comprises conifer-associated wood-boring beetles with Holarctic distribution. Like congeners, this species likely develops in dead or dying conifer wood, with adults active during warmer months. The species has been recorded from western North America including British Columbia, California, and Mexico.
Asemum nitidum
Asemum nitidum is a species of longhorned beetle (Cerambycidae) described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1873. It is native to parts of North America, with distribution records from Canada (British Columbia) and the United States. As a member of the genus Asemum, it belongs to a group of wood-boring beetles that develop in coniferous trees. The species has been documented through 286 iNaturalist observations, indicating it is encountered with some regularity by naturalists, though detailed biological studies appear limited.
Astylopsis sexguttata
Six-speckled Long-horned Beetle
Astylopsis sexguttata is a species of longhorn beetle in the subfamily Lamiinae, first described by Thomas Say in 1827. It is commonly known as the Six-speckled Long-horned Beetle. The species is associated with coniferous trees, particularly pines, where larvae bore into dead or dying wood. Adults are active during warmer months and can be found in forested habitats across eastern North America.
Buprestis apricans
turpentine borer
Buprestis apricans, commonly known as the turpentine borer, is a metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae. The species was described by Herbst in 1801. It occurs in the Caribbean and North America, where it develops in coniferous trees. Like other members of the genus Buprestis, adults display metallic coloration typical of jewel beetles.
Buprestis laeviventris
metallic wood-boring beetle, jewel beetle
Buprestis laeviventris is a species of metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae. It is native to North America and has been recorded from western Canada through the western United States. Adults are attracted to recently dead or dying coniferous trees, particularly pines. The species exhibits elytral color variation and has been the subject of recent youth science research projects examining morphological diversity across different pine host species.
Callidium antennatum
Blackhorned Pine Borer
Callidium antennatum is a species of longhorned beetle (family Cerambycidae) described by Newman in 1838. It is commonly known as the Blackhorned Pine Borer. The species is native to North America and has been recorded from both Canada and the United States. Like other members of the genus Callidium, it is associated with coniferous trees, particularly pines.
Centrodera spurca
yellow Douglas-fir borer
Centrodera spurca, commonly known as the yellow Douglas-fir borer, is a species of flower longhorn beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It is native to North America, with records from western Canada (British Columbia, Alberta) and the western United States. The species has been documented in coniferous forest habitats, particularly in association with Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii). A notable disjunct population occurs in the Sacramento Mountains of New Mexico, separated from the main Pacific Coast distribution.
Cephalcia semidea
Cephalcia semidea is a species of web-spinning sawfly in the family Pamphiliidae. Members of this genus are known for constructing silk webs on conifers, within which larvae feed gregariously. The species is rarely documented, with limited observational records available.
Chalcosyrphus piger
Short-haired Leafwalker
Chalcosyrphus piger is a species of hoverfly (family Syrphidae) found across North America and Europe. Adults are commonly known as flower flies and are frequently observed around flowers where they obtain nectar and pollen. The species is considered uncommon and is distinguished from congeners by its characteristic red abdominal markings. Larvae develop in decaying wood, specifically in sappy hollows of Larix and Pinus trees.
Chrysobothris cuprascens
A small to medium-sized metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae, characterized by coppery or brassy metallic coloration. First described by LeConte in 1860, this species occurs in North America and has been documented in pinyon-juniper woodland habitats. Adults have been observed on recently fallen branches of Pinus edulis (Colorado pinyon pine), where they run rapidly along the wood surface. Like other members of the genus Chrysobothris, the larvae are wood-borers that develop in dead or dying coniferous hosts.
Cydia anaranjada
slash pine seedworm moth
Cydia anaranjada, the slash pine seedworm moth, is a species of tortricid moth found in southeastern North America. The species was described by Miller in 1959. Like other members of the genus Cydia, it is likely associated with coniferous hosts, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented. The common name suggests a larval association with slash pine (*Pinus elliottii*) seeds.
Dicerca hornii nelsoni
Dicerca hornii nelsoni is a subspecies of jewel beetle (family Buprestidae) described by Beer in 1974. It belongs to the genus Dicerca, a group of large, robust buprestids commonly known as flatheaded borers that develop in the wood of various trees and shrubs. The subspecies is part of the Dicerca hornii complex, which is associated with woody hosts in western North America. Like other members of the genus, adults are typically found on or near their host plants during the active season.
Dicerca tenebrosa knulli
Dicerca tenebrosa knulli is a subspecies of jewel beetle (family Buprestidae) described by Nelson in 1975. As a member of the genus Dicerca, it belongs to a group of metallic wood-boring beetles that develop as larvae in dead or dying wood. The nominate subspecies Dicerca tenebrosa is known to associate with conifers across boreal and mountain regions of western North America. This subspecies is recognized from Alberta and British Columbia in Canada.
Hylurgus
red-haired bark beetles
Hylurgus is a genus of bark beetles in the family Curculionidae, subfamily Scolytinae. The genus includes economically significant forestry pests, most notably Hylurgus ligniperda (red-haired bark beetle), which is native to Eurasia and has established invasive populations on multiple continents. Species in this genus are associated with coniferous hosts, particularly Pinus species, and maintain complex symbiotic relationships with fungi and bacteria that facilitate host colonization and environmental adaptation.
Ips emarginatus
Emarginate Ips
Ips emarginatus is a bark beetle species in the family Curculionidae, described by Wood and Bright in 1992. It belongs to the genus Ips, commonly known as engraver beetles, which are characterized by distinctive spines on the posterior declivity of the elytra. The species name 'emarginatus' refers to a notched or indented feature, likely describing a morphological characteristic of this beetle. Like other Ips species, it is associated with coniferous trees and plays a role in forest ecosystem dynamics.
Monochamus notatus
northeastern pine sawyer, notable sawyer
Monochamus notatus is a large longhorned beetle (Cerambycidae) native to North America, occurring in Canada and the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. Adults are active from late spring through summer and are attracted to dead and dying conifers, particularly pines. The species is notable for its pronounced sexual dimorphism: males possess antennae up to twice their body length and elongated forelegs with expanded tarsi, while females have shorter antennae and unmodified legs. Like other Monochamus species, it responds to the aggregation pheromone monochamol and male-produced 2-(undecyloxy)-ethanol for mate location.
Onycholyda sitkensis
Onycholyda sitkensis is a species of web-spinning sawfly in the family Pamphiliidae, recorded from coastal Pacific Northwest regions including British Columbia and Alaska. Members of this genus construct silken webs on conifer foliage, within which larvae feed. The species appears to be rarely collected, with few documented observations.
Pityokteines sparsus
Pityokteines sparsus is a species of bark beetle in the family Curculionidae, described by Wood & Bright in 1992. The species is known from scattered records across northern North America including the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, and Labrador. As a member of the genus Pityokteines, it is associated with coniferous hosts, though specific biological details for this species remain poorly documented. The limited number of observations suggests it may be uncommon or underrecorded.
Pityophthorina
Pityophthorina is a subtribe of ambrosia beetles within the tribe Xyleborini (subfamily Scolytinae, family Curculionidae). These beetles are characterized by their obligate mutualisms with ambrosia fungi, which they cultivate in wood galleries. The subtribe includes genera such as Pityophthorus, which are predominantly associated with coniferous hosts. Members are small, cylindrical bark beetles with reduced elytral declivity and specialized mycangia for transporting fungal spores.
Retinia picicolana
Retinia picicolana is a small moth species in the family Tortricidae, first described from Mexico by Harrison G. Dyar in 1906. It belongs to a genus whose larvae are predominantly associated with coniferous trees, particularly pines. The species remains poorly documented in published literature, with most available information derived from taxonomic databases rather than ecological studies.
Rhyacionia salmonicolor
Rhyacionia salmonicolor is a species of tortricid moth described by Powell in 1978. It belongs to the genus Rhyacionia, a group commonly known as pine shoot moths due to the larval habit of feeding on conifer shoots. The species name refers to the salmon-colored appearance of the adult moth. Like other members of its genus, it is likely associated with pine hosts, though specific biological details remain poorly documented in published literature.
Semanotus ligneus
Cedar Tree Borer
Semanotus ligneus is a species of longhorned beetle in the family Cerambycidae, commonly known as the Cedar Tree Borer. It is native to North America and has been recorded from multiple Canadian provinces including Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Ontario. The species belongs to the tribe Callidiini, which includes many wood-boring beetles associated with coniferous trees.
Semanotus terminatus
Semanotus terminatus is a species of longhorned beetle (family Cerambycidae) in the tribe Callidiini. It is native to North America with confirmed records from multiple Canadian provinces including Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. As a member of the genus Semanotus, it is presumed to be associated with coniferous hosts, though specific biological details for this species remain poorly documented in published literature. The species was described by Casey in 1912.
Tetropium parallelum
Tetropium parallelum is a species of longhorned beetle in the family Cerambycidae, described by Casey in 1891. It belongs to the genus Tetropium, which comprises woodboring beetles primarily associated with coniferous trees. The species is recorded from western North America, including Alberta, Canada and the United States. Like other members of its genus, it likely develops in dead or dying conifer wood, though specific biological details remain poorly documented.
Trachykele hartmani
Serpentine Cypress Wood-boring Beetle
Trachykele hartmani is a small jewel beetle (family Buprestidae) described by Burke in 1920. It is one of approximately 50 species in the genus Trachykele, a group of wood-boring beetles primarily associated with coniferous hosts. The species is known from the Nearctic region of North America. Like other members of the subtribe Trachykelina, it likely develops in the wood of cypress or related Cupressaceae, though specific host records for this species are not well documented. The common name "Serpentine Cypress Wood-boring Beetle" suggests an association with cypress species.
Tragosoma soror
Tragosoma soror is a species of longhorned beetle in the family Cerambycidae, subfamily Prioninae, described by Laplante in 2017. It belongs to a genus containing other large, wood-boring beetles. The species is known from very few records, with only a single observation documented on iNaturalist. Like other members of Tragosoma, it likely develops in coniferous wood, though specific biological details remain undocumented in the available literature.
Tragosoma spiculum
Tragosoma spiculum is a long-horned beetle in the family Cerambycidae, subfamily Prioninae. The species is found in North America, with records from western Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba) and the western United States. Like other members of the genus Tragosoma, it is a wood-boring beetle associated with coniferous forests. The species is attracted to sweet red wine-baited jug traps, suggesting adult feeding on fermenting sap or other sugar sources.
Trisetacus ramosus
Trisetacus ramosus is an eriophyid mite in the family Eriophyidae, a group commonly known as gall mites or rust mites. Species in this genus are associated with coniferous plants, particularly members of Pinaceae. T. ramosus has been reported in association with pine species, though detailed biological studies remain limited. Like other eriophyids, it is minute, worm-like, and possesses only two pairs of legs in the adult stage.
Xyelidae
Xyelid Sawflies
Xyelidae is a family of sawflies comprising approximately 80 extant species in five genera worldwide, with an extensive fossil record of over 120 species dating to the Triassic. It is the sole family in the superfamily Xyeloidea and represents the sister group to all other extant Hymenoptera, retaining numerous ancestral morphological features. Extant species are primarily distributed in boreal regions of the Northern Hemisphere, with a relict distribution pattern. The family is divided into two subfamilies: Xyelinae, associated with conifers, and Macroxyelinae, feeding on deciduous trees.
Xyelinae
xyeline sawflies
Xyelinae is a subfamily of primitive sawflies within the family Xyelidae, representing one of the earliest-diverging lineages of Hymenoptera. Members are small to medium-sized insects with distinctive morphological features including broad heads and relatively short antennae. The subfamily includes extant genera such as Xyela and Pleroneura, with larvae that develop in plant tissues. Xyelinae sawflies are primarily associated with conifers, particularly pines, where they exhibit specialized host relationships.