Pine-specialist
Guides
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.
Eucopina tocullionana
white pine cone borer, White Pine Coneborer Moth
A small tortricid moth specialized on pine cones. Adults are active in spring and summer, with larvae developing within cones of white pine and Virginia pine. The species is restricted to eastern North America, primarily in Appalachian and Great Lakes regions.
Macaria pinistrobata
White Pine Angle
Macaria pinistrobata, commonly known as the white pine angle, is a geometrid moth native to eastern North America. The species is closely associated with eastern white pine (Pinus strobus), which serves as the primary larval host. Adults are active during the warmer months, with one to two generations produced annually depending on latitude.
Neodiprion pratti
Virginia pine sawfly, jack pine sawfly
Neodiprion pratti is a conifer sawfly native to North America with documented populations in Canada and the eastern United States. The species exhibits complex host-associated population structure, with distinct populations adapted to specific pine hosts including Virginia pine (Pinus virginiana), jack pine (Pinus banksiana), sand pine (Pinus clausa), slash pine (Pinus elliottii), and longleaf pine (Pinus palustris). Populations show significant variation in life history, with northern forms typically univoltine and a distinctive West Florida population exhibiting winter-active phenology with adults emerging in October-November.
Retinia comstockiana
Pitch Twig Moth, Comstock's Retinia Moth
Retinia comstockiana is a tortricid moth whose larvae are specialized borers in pine twigs. The species is narrowly associated with pitch pine (Pinus rigida) in the northeastern United States. Larval tunneling in twigs can cause dieback of branch tips. Adults are small, inconspicuous moths with limited published information on their biology.
Zale buchholzi
Buchholz's zale, Buchholz' Zale Moth
Zale buchholzi, commonly known as Buchholz's zale, is a moth species in the family Erebidae. It is restricted to coastal pinelands of the Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains of North America. The species has a single generation annually and is a specialist feeder on pine species as larvae.
Zale obliqua
oblique zale
Zale obliqua, the oblique zale, is a noctuid moth first described by Achille Guenée in 1852. The species is associated with pine habitats in eastern North America, with larvae feeding on pitch pine in northern populations and likely other pine species in southern populations. Adults exhibit regional variation in flight timing, with activity beginning in late March in southeastern North Carolina and early summer in more northern latitudes.