Jack, pitch, and shortleaf pines are preferred hosts, but it has 
also been observed feeding on Virginia, Scotch, scrub, longleaf, 
loblolly, and red pines. The adult has a wingspread of about 9 
mm. The forewing is reddish to golden brown and is marked by 
four narrow, grayish bands. The hindwings are wider than the 
forewings. Full-grown larvae are pinkish and about 6 mm. long. 
Females deposit their eggs in recently vacated, mined needles 
from May to July, depending on location. Young larvae vacate the 
old mined needles and bore into the bases of current year needles, 
killing them within 2 or 3 weeks. Older larvae mine in both old 
and new needles, killing the apical portions beyond the entrance 
holes. Winter is spent in the larval stage, and there may be two 
or more generations per year (248). Forest-grown trees are 
occasionally infested heavily, but are seldom injured seriously. On 
the other hand, heavy infestations on ornamentals or in planta- 
tions may be serious. The mite, Pediculoides ventricosus, appears 
to be an effective predator in some areas. It is reported to have 
destroyed over 75 percent of late instar larvae in infestations in 
North Carolina (40). 
Exotelleia dodecella (L.), the pine bud moth, was discovered in 
the Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, in 1928 and now occurs through- 
out southern Ontario. So far as known, it has not yet crossed the 
border into the United States. Its preferred hosts appear to be 
Scotch and mugho pines, but several other pines such as eastern 
white, red, jack, and Austrian may be attacked in heavily infested 
areas. Old Scotch pines, particularly those growing along road- 
sides, are highly subject to attack. Infestations on such open- 
grown trees may persist for years. Heavy infestations cause a 
thickening or browning of the needles, followed by branch mal- 
formation. Eventually, the needles thin out. A high proportion of 
the buds on young trees may be killed. 
Eggs are laid on current-year and 11-year-old shoots in late July 
or early August. The larvae feed on the needles during the first 
season; the following spring they feed on the buds. Winter is 
spent in the third instar in mined needles (504). 
Exoteleia chillcotti Freeman is a common needle miner of long- 
leaf pine in Louisiana. Bennett (60) discussed the morphology of 
the pupa. 
Exoteleia nepheos Freeman, first recorded in southern Canada 
in 1958, is also known to occur in Ohio. Its known hosts are red 
and Scotch pines and, rarely, Mugho pine. The adult is small and 
inconspicuous and has a wingspread of less than 12 mm. Mature 
larvae are pale yellow with a reddish hue and are about 6.5 mm. 
long. Winter is spent in the larval stage. 
Adults are present from early July to early August in Ontario 
(in Ohio they may appear as early as June 1). Eggs are laid 
singly, or, rarely, in clusters of two to four, on the sheaths of 
previous year’s needles or, occasionally, under loose bark scales 
of twigs. Newly-hatched larvae bore into the tips of the needles. 
The remainder of the summer is spent mining the needle, and 
winter is spent in the tunnel. In the spring, the larvae vacate their 
tunnels and either re-enter the same needles, adjacent needles, or 
swelling buds. Larval growth is completed in May, and pupation 
392 
