Seed-orchard-pest
Guides
Conophthorus coniperda
white pine cone beetle
Conophthorus coniperda, the white pine cone beetle, is a scolytine weevil that develops entirely within the cones of eastern white pine (Pinus strobus). Adults emerge in spring to attack new cones, and larvae feed on cone tissues and seeds, often killing the cone. The species is typically univoltine, though some individuals require two years to complete development. It is a significant economic pest in white pine seed orchards due to seed destruction.
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.
Dioryctria abietivorella
fir coneworm, Evergreen Coneworm Moth
Dioryctria abietivorella, commonly known as the fir coneworm, is a species of snout moth in the family Pyralidae. The species was described by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1878. Its larvae develop in conifer seed cones and branches, with documented performance varying by host species and cone availability. White spruce appears to be the most suitable host based on development rate studies.
Leptoglossus
leaf-footed bugs
Leptoglossus is a genus of true bugs in the leaf-footed bug family Coreidae, tribe Anisoscelini. Species are characterized by leaflike dilations of the hind tibia, a diagnostic trait of the genus. The genus is distributed throughout the Americas, with some introduced populations in Europe and Asia. Several species are economically significant agricultural pests, notably L. occidentalis, which has become invasive in multiple continents.
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nchanmoss-bugarchaeorrhynchanfulgoromorphancicadomorphanmembracoidtreehopperleafhopperplanthopperpsyllidjumping-plant-lousewhiteflyaleyrodidscale-insectcoccoidmealybugaphidadelgidphylloxeransternorrhynchanthysanopteranthripspsocopteranbarklousebooklousephthirapteranlousesucking-lousechewing-lousemallophagananoplurandermapteranearwigblattodeancockroachtermiteisopteranmantodeanmantidphasmidstick-insectleaf-insectorthopterangrasshopperlocustkatydidcricketmole-cricketpygmy-mole-cricketcamel-cricketcave-cricketwetaensiferancaeliferangryllotalpidmyrmecophilidtettigoniidgryllidacrididpamphagidpneumoridlentulidtristirideumastacidproscopiidtridactylidtetrigidgrouse-locustpygmy-grasshopperplecopteranstoneflyembiopteranwebspinnerzorapteranangel-insectdictyopteranMegastigmus spermotrophus
Douglas Fir Seed Chalcidoid Wasp, Douglas-fir Seed Chalcid
Megastigmus spermotrophus is a seed-parasitic chalcid wasp native to western North America that has become invasive in Europe and other regions. It specializes in attacking seeds of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), causing significant economic losses in seed orchards and natural forests. The species exhibits complex life history traits including facultative larval diapause lasting up to three years, which enables population persistence despite fluctuating cone crops. Females oviposit through cone scales into developing seeds, and the species shows preferences for larger cones with strongly arched exteriors and cone tips. Genetic polymorphism in diapause expression allows adaptation to varying environmental conditions.