18 



MISC. PUBLICATION 273, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



PINE CONE MOTHS 



Pine cones are attacked early in the spring of their second year of 

 growth by several species of cone moths. The caterpillars of one 

 group are dirty white in color and about one-half inch in length when 

 full grown. They burrow through the central axis of the cones and 

 enter the seeds through the point of attachment. They are especially 

 destructive to the seeds of ponderosa pine (fig. 6) and Jeffrey pine. 

 Pupation takes place in the pith. The moths are small, one-half inch 

 in length, and gray to black in color. The species included in this 

 group are the following : 



Species Hosts and distribution 



Laspeyrcsia piperana Kearf Ponderosa pine and Jeffrey Pine. Cali- 

 fornia, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and 

 Montana. 

 Lafipcyrcna miscitata Hein Ponderosa pine and Jeffrey pine. Cali- 

 fornia. Oregon, Idaho, and Nevada. 

 Hedulia injectiva Hein Jeffrey pine and ponderosa pine. Cali- 

 fornia, Oregon, and Nevada. 



^ . , .. Those which are 



'Sil Kim ^^^^^ ^^ ^i^^ h^ongU> 

 V Mmllfif^ ^ the^genusZa./>6y- 



^^i^^^^^i^SMlr/^^ which attack pine 



r^ctb^^^^^Wfti W^^B^ ^^^ distorts and de- 



^^^^^8/ f -'^ -^^^^^^^ forms the cone or 



^^^^^^W^^ kills it before it 



^^^^^W wMII^/^mT^^ J^^^ches maturity. 



\^^M 9^^^^ ^^t^^^ ^^ ^^^^ group also 



7 y^^'J&^'^^J^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^ succulent 



^ \& i^hf^Z^:^^'^ new growth of pines. 



Their work is char- 



FiGURE 6. — a. Adult of the pine cone moth (Laspeyresia . • i i 



piljerana) X 2 ; 6, caterpillars feeding through ponderosa actcrized by a rCSlll- 

 pine cone, and pupa in the pith. (Drawing by Edmon- ^^^g exudatioU of 



pitch and larvel cast- 

 ings mixed with webbing. The following species belong in this 

 group : 



Species Hosts 



Dioryctria xanthoeiwbares Dyar Ponderosa pine, knobcone pine, and other 



pines. 



Dioryctria abietella D. and S Pines, Douglas fir, balsam fir, and spruce. 



Euc'OHma hohana Kearf Ponderosa pine, Jeffrey pine, and knobcone 



pine. 

 Eucosma rescissoriana Hein Lodgepole pine. 



