Pine-pest
Guides
Aphrophora
spittlebugs, conifer spittlebugs
Aphrophora is a genus of spittlebugs (family Aphrophoridae) comprising at least 80 described species. Nymphs produce characteristic frothy spittle masses on host plants for protection and moisture regulation. The genus includes species associated with conifers and broadleaved plants, with documented host relationships including Pinus and Salix species. Adults are often attracted to lights at night.
Argyrotaenia pinatubana
Pine Tube Moth
The Pine Tube Moth is a small tortricid moth native to eastern North America. Its larvae feed primarily on eastern white pine, constructing distinctive tube-like shelters by binding needles together with silk. The species produces two generations annually and is an occasional pest in pine plantations and Christmas tree farms.
Brachyderes incanus
Pine Weevil, White Pine Weevil
Brachyderes incanus is a weevil species in the family Curculionidae. Adults are primarily associated with coniferous trees, particularly pines. The species has a broad distribution across parts of Europe and Asia. Larval development occurs in roots and root collars of host trees, where feeding damage can be significant.
Chionaspis
pine needle scale
Chionaspis is a genus of armored scale insects (family Diaspididae) that feed primarily on conifers, especially pines. The genus contains multiple species, including at least 10 cryptic species in the pine-feeding complex previously treated as two species (C. pinifoliae and C. heterophyllae). Species in this genus are economically significant pests of pine trees and Christmas tree plantations. Adult females are sedentary, covered by a hard waxy shield, and lack wings; males develop wings as adults.
Choristoneura lambertiana
sugar pine tortrix, sugar pine tortrix moth
Choristoneura lambertiana, commonly known as the sugar pine tortrix, is a tortricid moth native to western North America. The species exhibits pronounced host-specific variation across its range, with three recognized subspecies each associated with different pine hosts: C. l. lambertiana on sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana), C. l. ponderosana on ponderosa pine (P. ponderosa) and limber pine (P. flexilis), and C. l. subretiniana on lodgepole pine (P. contorta) and Jeffrey pine (P. jeffreyi). Populations have been documented as outbreak defoliators of lodgepole pine in Idaho and Montana during the mid-to-late 1960s.
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.
Cydia ingens
Longleaf Pine Seedworm Moth
A small tortricid moth native to the southeastern United States, specialized on pine seeds. Adults are grayish-brown with distinctive metallic bars on the forewings. The species is of minor economic concern due to seed damage in pine plantations.
Dioryctria amatella
southern pineconeworm moth, Southern Pine Coneworm Moth
Dioryctria amatella is a pyralid moth whose larvae develop within pine cones, primarily feeding on seeds and cone tissues. The species is a significant pest in southeastern U.S. pine forests, with one to four generations annually. Adults are active from early spring through late autumn. The species overwinters in Cronartium fusiforme fungal cankers on pine trees, utilizing these as protected winter habitats.
Dioryctria auranticella
ponderosa pineconeworm moth
Dioryctria auranticella is a small pyralid moth whose larvae develop inside the cones of ponderosa pine and knobcone pine. Adults are active in mid-summer and are attracted to lights. The species is restricted to western North America, where it functions as a cone pest with potential impact on pine seed production.
Dioryctria clarioralis
Blister Coneworm Moth
Dioryctria clarioralis, commonly known as the blister coneworm moth, is a species of pyralid moth found in the eastern United States. The larvae feed on various Pinus species, particularly attacking flower clusters and shoots. The species is part of a genus whose members are generally known as coneworm moths due to larval feeding habits in conifer cones and shoots.
Dioryctria ebeli
South Coastal Coneworm Moth
Dioryctria ebeli, the south coastal coneworm moth, is a species of pyralid moth described in 1979. It belongs to a genus whose larvae are commonly known as coneworms due to their habit of feeding within conifer cones. The species has a restricted distribution along the southeastern and Gulf coasts of the United States, with scattered records as far north as Massachusetts. Larval development occurs within pine cones.
Dioryctria merkeli
loblolly pine coneworm moth
Dioryctria merkeli is a snout moth species in the family Pyralidae, described in 1979 from the eastern United States. The larvae are known to feed on Pinus species, boring into the cambium of trunks, branches, and twigs. This species is part of a genus whose members are commonly known as coneworm moths due to their larval habit of feeding in conifer cones and woody tissues.
Dioryctria yatesi
Mountain Pine Coneworm, Mountain Pine Coneworm Moth
Dioryctria yatesi, commonly known as the mountain pine coneworm, is a species of snout moth in the family Pyralidae. It was described by Mutuura and Munroe in 1979 and is restricted to the mountains of the coastal southeastern United States and Tennessee. The larvae are specialized cone borers that feed on Pinus pungens (Table Mountain pine).
Eulachnus
Pine Needle Aphids
Eulachnus is a genus of aphids in the family Aphididae, comprising approximately 24 species distributed across Eurasia and the Americas. All species are obligately associated with pine trees (Pinus spp.), feeding on phloem sap from needles. Several species, including E. agilis, E. brevipilosus, and E. rileyi, have been introduced beyond their native European ranges and have become significant pests of commercial pine forestry. The genus exhibits parthenogenetic reproduction with multiple overlapping generations annually, and population dynamics are strongly influenced by seasonal climate patterns.
Exoteleia
Exoteleia is a genus of small moths in the family Gelechiidae, established by Wallengren in 1881. Species in this genus are associated with coniferous hosts, particularly pines (Pinus), where larvae function as needle miners and bud feeders. Several species are recognized as economic pests of plantation, ornamental, and Christmas tree pines in North America and Europe. The genus includes at least nine described species distributed across the Holarctic region.
Exoteleia pinifoliella
pine needleminer, pine needle miner
Exoteleia pinifoliella is a gelechiid moth commonly known as the pine needleminer. Native to eastern North America, it is a persistent pest of hard pines, with larvae that mine within needles. The species exhibits strong site fidelity, with moths returning to the same trees to oviposit year after year, resulting in patchy, localized infestations in forest stands. It completes one generation annually.
Glyptoscelis pubescens
hairy leaf beetle, pine chrysomelid
Glyptoscelis pubescens is a leaf beetle species in the family Chrysomelidae, commonly known as the hairy leaf beetle or pine chrysomelid. It is distributed across eastern North America, with records extending into Canada. The species is recognized as a potential pest of pine trees. Parasitoid wasps including Eupelmus sp. and Microctonus glyptosceli are known to attack this beetle.
Hylurgus ligniperda
Goldenhaired Bark Beetle, Red-haired Bark Beetle
Hylurgus ligniperda is an invasive bark beetle native to Europe that has established populations across multiple continents. It is a significant forest pest primarily associated with pine trees (Pinus spp.), where it colonizes roots and lower trunk sections. The species exhibits sexual dimorphism in acoustic communication: males produce stridulatory sounds during courtship and disturbance, while females are silent. Its invasion success is facilitated by symbiotic relationships with ophiostomatoid fungi and diverse bacterial communities that assist with host adaptation, detoxification of plant secondary metabolites, and tolerance to environmental temperature fluctuations.
Ips avulsus
Small Southern Pine Engraver
Ips avulsus, the small southern pine engraver, is a bark beetle in the family Curculionidae. It colonizes pine hosts, primarily attacking the lower bole of stressed or damaged trees. The species uses a pheromone blend of ipsdienol and lanierone for aggregation, with responses to semiochemicals influenced by context and spatial arrangement. It cohabits trees with other Ips species and Dendroctonus frontalis, showing differential attack height partitioning.
Ips grandicollis
eastern five-spined engraver, eastern five-spined ips, southern pine engraver, fivespined engraver
Ips grandicollis is a bark beetle in the family Curculionidae, commonly known as the eastern five-spined engraver or southern pine engraver. The species is native to North America and has been introduced to Australia. It primarily colonizes Pinus species, attacking weakened, stressed, or recently felled trees rather than healthy standing timber. Males initiate gallery construction and produce aggregation pheromones to attract multiple females. The species has reached economic importance in some regions, including Jamaican pine plantations, where it can kill trees when populations aggregate on living hosts.
Ips paraconfusus
California fivespined ips, California fivespined ip
Ips paraconfusus is a bark beetle species native to western North America, notable as the first bark beetle from which a pheromone was identified in 1967. Males produce aggregation pheromones ipsenol and ipsdienol primarily through de novo biosynthesis, with minor contribution from host-tree myrcene conversion. The species colonizes various pine species, with strong preference for ponderosa pine over non-host trees such as white fir.
Lambdina pellucidaria
pitch pine looper, eastern pine looper, yellow-headed looper, yellow-headed looper moth
Lambdina pellucidaria is a geometrid moth found in eastern North America, commonly known as the pitch pine looper or yellow-headed looper. The species is associated with pine habitats and has been documented feeding on pitch pine, red pine, and other hard pines, as well as oak. Adults are active from March to June with regional variation, and exhibit nocturnal pheromone-mediated mating activity between midnight and 3 AM. Larvae are distinctive loopers that mine needles rather than consuming them completely, a trait that aids in identification.
Matsucoccus
Matsucoccus is a genus of scale insects in the family Matsucoccidae, specialized feeders on conifers of the genus Pinus. Species within this genus exhibit pronounced sexual dimorphism: females are sessile, often concealed under waxy coverings, while males develop wings as adults and are active fliers. Several species are significant forest pests, capable of causing needle yellowing, premature needle drop, shoot desiccation, and tree mortality in heavy infestations. The genus has been subject to taxonomic revision, with some species historically placed in Margarodidae and ongoing uncertainty regarding species boundaries.
Matsucoccus acalyptus
Pinyon Needle Scale, pinyon pine scale
Matsucoccus acalyptus is a univoltine scale insect specialized on pinyon pine (Pinus edulis). Males are winged and appear in early spring, while females are sessile and legless, remaining under bark scales. The species has a complex life cycle involving seasonal migrations between needles and bark, with heavy infestations capable of weakening host trees and predisposing them to beetle attack.
Neodiprion
Neodiprion is a genus of conifer sawflies in the family Diprionidae, containing approximately 25 species native to North America. Larvae are specialized folivores of pine needles, with most species exhibiting strong host associations with particular Pinus species. Several species, including N. lecontei and N. sertifer, are significant forest pests capable of causing extensive defoliation during outbreak years. The genus is distinguished from related sawflies by morphological and ecological traits associated with conifer specialization.
Neodiprion abbotii
Neodiprion abbotii is a conifer sawfly species in the family Diprionidae. As a member of the Diprioninae subfamily, it belongs to a group of primitive Hymenoptera that are among the few folivores capable of feeding on conifer needles. Adults are small, stingless wasps with a saw-like ovipositor used to insert eggs into conifer foliage. Larvae are caterpillar-like but possess more pairs of prolegs than Lepidoptera larvae and lack crochets.
Neodiprion lecontei
red-headed pine sawfly, Leconte's sawfly
Neodiprion lecontei is a pine-feeding sawfly native to eastern North America, commonly known as the red-headed pine sawfly. Adults are small (5–8.5 mm), sexually dimorphic, and active in spring and summer. Larvae are gregarious defoliators of pine needles, capable of stripping entire branches and causing significant damage to young trees and plantations. The species exhibits complex population dynamics with one to three generations per year depending on latitude, and has been extensively studied as a model for host-associated differentiation, gene expression decoupling across life stages, and baculovirus pathology.
Orthotomicus
Orthotomicus is a genus of bark beetles in the family Curculionidae, subfamily Scolytinae, containing approximately nine described species. The genus is primarily associated with coniferous trees, particularly pines (Pinus spp.) and cedars (Cedrus spp.). Several species, notably Orthotomicus erosus (Mediterranean pine engraver) and O. laricis, have become significant forest pests through native population outbreaks and invasive range expansions. Species in this genus are known for their associations with ophiostomatoid fungi, which they vector and which contribute to tree decline.
Pineus strobi
Pine Bark Adelgid, White Pine Bark Aphid
Pineus strobi is a small, sap-sucking insect in the family Adelgidae, commonly known as the pine bark adelgid or white pine bark aphid. It is a specialist feeder on white pine (Pinus strobus) and related pine species, forming dense colonies on bark and branches. The species has been introduced to regions outside its native range, including central European Russia and the Fergana Valley, where it is considered invasive. Like other adelgids, it possesses complex associations with bacterial endosymbionts that aid in nutritional processing.
Podapion gallicola
Pine Gall Weevil
Podapion gallicola is a weevil that induces galls on pine branches. It has a three-year life cycle on its host tree, with adults emerging in June and ovipositing through August. Larvae feed gregariously on cambium and xylem tissue, triggering gall formation during their second instar. The species is known from Michigan and eastern Canada.
Retinia albicapitana
Northern Pitch Twig Moth
Retinia albicapitana, the northern pitch twig moth, is a small tortricid moth specialized on Pinus species. It occurs across boreal and northern temperate North America, with a two-year life cycle. The species is notable for its extended larval development and association with coniferous forest ecosystems.
Rhyacionia adana
Adana tip moth
Rhyacionia adana is a small tortricid moth known as the Adana tip moth. It was described in 1923 but remained overlooked for decades because its damage to pine trees was confused with that of the European pine shoot moth (R. buoliana). The species is a documented pest of young pine plantations in northeastern North America.
Rhyacionia subtropica
Subtropical Pine Tip Moth
Rhyacionia subtropica is a small tortricid moth with a wingspan of approximately 18 mm. It is distributed in the southeastern United States, Cuba, and Belize. The larvae are specialized feeders on pine species, attacking the terminal shoots of their hosts.
Sirex
horntail, wood wasp
Sirex is a genus of horntail woodwasps in the family Siricidae. These insects are characterized by an obligate mutualistic relationship with wood-decaying fungi, which they carry in specialized abdominal organs called mycangia and introduce into host trees during oviposition. The fungus digests wood cellulose, providing nutrition for the developing larvae. The genus includes significant forest pests, notably Sirex noctilio, which has become invasive in multiple continents outside its native range.
Thecodiplosis
Thecodiplosis is a genus of gall midges (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) comprising approximately six described species. Species in this genus induce galls on pine needles, with documented hosts including Pinus densiflora, P. thunbergii, P. resinosa, and other Pinus species. The genus has become economically significant as an invasive pest in some regions, particularly Thecodiplosis japonensis, which has established populations in China since 2016.
Tomicus
pine shoot beetles
Tomicus is a genus of bark beetles in the family Curculionidae, described by Pierre André Latreille in 1802. The genus contains at least seven recognized species, including economically significant forest pests such as T. piniperda, T. minor, T. destruens, and T. yunnanensis. These beetles are commonly known as pine shoot beetles due to their distinctive life history involving feeding on pine shoots before trunk colonization. Several species have caused substantial mortality in pine forests across Europe, the Mediterranean region, and southwestern China, with T. yunnanensis described as unusually aggressive in its native range.
Tomicus piniperda
common pine shoot beetle, Eurasian pine shoot beetle
Tomicus piniperda is a bark beetle native to Europe, northwestern Africa, and northern Asia, and an invasive species in North America. It is one of the most destructive shoot-feeding beetles in northern Europe, causing economic damage to pine forestry through two distinct feeding behaviors: breeding in stressed or dead pine trunks and feeding on the pith of healthy young pine shoots. The beetle has a single generation per year and does not use pheromones for mate location, instead relying on host plant volatiles. It was first detected in North America in 1992 near Cleveland, Ohio, and has since spread to multiple U.S. states and Canadian provinces, triggering federal quarantines.
Toumeyella pini
Striped Pine Scale
Toumeyella pini, commonly known as the Striped Pine Scale, is a soft scale insect native to North America. It is a significant pest of pine trees, particularly two- and three-needle pine species. The species exhibits pronounced sexual dimorphism in both morphology and feeding location: females are larger, highly convex, and develop on terminal twigs, while males are smaller, more elongate, and develop on needles. The species secretes copious honeydew, which attracts ants, wasps, bees, and flies, and can lead to sooty mold growth that inhibits photosynthesis. In southern Georgia, it completes three generations per year, with crawler activity peaking in May, mid-July to early August, and late October to early November.