Pest Profile

Photo credit: Tom Murray

Common Name: Eastern shoot borer

Scientific Name: gloriola

Order and Family: ;

Size and Appearance:

Length (mm) Appearance Egg Pale yellow, flattened in shape .3mm diameter /Nymph 13mm Off-white to gray in color. Yellow-brown head; pale yellow area on prothorax. Small larvae emerge and burrow into the shoots forming 6-8 inch tunnels. They block off their tunnels with their waste. Adult 14-16mm Copper colored forewings; bands of gray lie horizontally across this red-brown base color. Females lay their eggs at the base of the needles of the pine tree. Pupa (if applicable) Brown. Pupation takes place in the litter of topsoil within a light brown cocoon covered with soil particles.

Type of feeder (Chewing, sucking, etc.): Larvae are chewing feeders and feed within shoots of the trees; Adults: sucking.

Host plant/s: Eastern white pine, Scotch pine, all 2- and 5-needle , Douglas fir, and white spruce are all reported host plants. White pine and Scotch pine are the favored hosts among these. Mature plants are at a lesser risk for infestation.

Description of Damage (larvae and adults): The tunnels of the larvae are 6-8 inches in length and are formed within the shoots. When tunnels are formed within the shoots, the shoots will then wilt and fall off the tree. The damage disrupts the form of the tree, but death does not occur.

References: Lehman, R. D. (1996). Eastern Pine Shoot Borer - Eucosma gloriola Heinric. Retrieved from http://ento.psu.edu/extension/christmas-trees/information/pest-fact-sheets/eastern-pine- shoot-borer-eucosma-gloriola-heinric

Wilson, L.F. (1978). Eastern Pine Shoot Borer. Retrieved from http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/fidls/eps_borer/eps_borer.htm