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Dioryctria abietella

Spruce coneworm

Description

The spruce coneworm is a moth with a 20–30 mm wingspan. Its swarming season is June and July. The females lay eggs on tree cones. The 30 mm long larvae are russet coloured, with rows of fine vertical stripes. They feed on seed scales of cones, enter diapause in autumn in the litter on the ground and pupate in spring. The foot of seed scales on the cones is chewed away, resulting in anchor-shaped disfiguration of the scales. The cones turn brown, may become distorted and fall off prematurely. Coarse frass held together with silk can be found on their surface. The cones are usually damaged from inside and the seeds are totally destroyed. A single cone is most often colonized by one or two larvae. Distributed throughout Central Europe, this is a pest of major importance in spruce seed orchards.

Symptom

The cones turn prematurely brown, on their surface you can see piles of dung connected by dwarf.

Tree Species: Pine, Fir, Spruce, Larch

Part of a plant- attacked: Fruit / Seed

Pest significance: Harmful

Pest Category: Insects

Invasive Species: No

Present in EU: Yes

Last observations

There are a total of 3 observations of the species in the system

Dioryctria abietellaSpruce coneworm
majo
Number of votes: 0
Published: 4.11.2023

Dioryctria abietellaSpruce coneworm
ak73
Number of votes: 0
Published: 13.9.2022

Dioryctria abietellaSpruce coneworm
ak73
Number of votes: 0
Published: 13.9.2022

Dioryctria abietellaSpruce coneworm
ak73
Number of votes: 0
Published: 13.9.2022

Dioryctria abietellaSpruce coneworm
ak73
Number of votes: 0
Published: 10.8.2022