Description

Adult

Wingspan of 14-18 mm. Forewings silvery white suffused with grey and thin lines of black. Hindwings are greyfuscous in colour.

Larvae

Final instars reach 9 mm in length. Body is waxy yellowishbrown with very small dark brown pinacula. Head is blackish-brown and prothoracic plate brown. Anal plate is weakly sclerotized and yellowish-brown with some darker mottling.

Eggs

Elliptical, opaque, cream white tinged with red in colour. Laid on pairs of needles beneath bud whorls.

Distribution

Europe and Asia

Economic Host(s)

Pine species.

Symptoms/Signs

Newly hatched larvae move to feed on new shoots and spin webs around the needle bases. After initially feeding externally the larvae bore into shoots to feed. The infested shoots desiccate and drop to the ground. Large infestations may result in death of the crown.

Generations:

1