Forest Invasive Alien Species
www.exoticpests.gc.ca
Established Insects
- Ambermarked birch leafminer
- Balsam woolly adelgid
- Beech scale
- Birch casebearer
- Birch leafminer
- Black stem borer
- Common pine shoot beetle
- Eastern spruce gall adelgid
- Elm leaf beetle
- European pine sawfly
- European pine shoot moth
- European pineneedle midge
- European spruce sawfly
- Gypsy moth
- Introduced pine sawfly
- Larch casebearer
- Larch sawfly
- Lombardy leafminer
- Mountain ash sawfly
- Pear thrips
- Rusty tussock moth
- Smaller European elm bark beetle
- Winter moth
European pineneedle midge
Pair of Scots pine needles, one affected, the other intact
Pair of needles spread to show the position of the larva
Appearance of damage at the base of an affected needle
Pupa
Adult, lateral view
Scots pine branches partially stripped after 1 year of attack
Taxonomy
Description
Distribution Map
Main host(s)
Red pine, scots pine
Diet and feeding behavior
Phytophagous / Phyllophagous / Miner
Micro-habitat(s)
Needle
Distribution
New Brunswick, Ontario, Quebec
Damage, symptoms and biology
The European pineneedle midge feeds on foliar tissue within the needle sheath, causing one of the two needles in the fascicle to wilt and turn brown. The browned needle eventually separates from the other, which remains green. This phenomenon is more easily observed in August, when the affected foliage begins to drop and injured needles remain in the crown of the tree.
Even during a severe infestation, only a small proportion of twigs die and the tree is seldom seriously affected.
When the needle fascicle detaches from the twig, it drops to the ground, bearing the larvae, which overwinter in cocoons in the litter at the base of infested trees. The adult emerges in June and July. The female deposits her eggs on needle sheaths in the upper part of the trees.
Even during a severe infestation, only a small proportion of twigs die and the tree is seldom seriously affected.
When the needle fascicle detaches from the twig, it drops to the ground, bearing the larvae, which overwinter in cocoons in the litter at the base of infested trees. The adult emerges in June and July. The female deposits her eggs on needle sheaths in the upper part of the trees.
Comments
The European pineneedle midge is of European origin and was likely introduced into America roughly 40 years ago. In eastern Canada, short infestations are regularly observed, affecting Scots pine and red pine.
Cutting out affected current-year shoots can improve the appearance of slightly or even moderately infested trees.
Cutting out affected current-year shoots can improve the appearance of slightly or even moderately infested trees.
