Pine Needle Sheathminer

Zelleria haimbachi Busck

From: Field Guide to Diseases and Insect Pests of Idaho and Montana Forests, USDA Forest Service Northern Region, Publication Number R1-89-54

Hosts. – Lodgepole and ponderosa pines.

Distribution. – Found on hosts throughout Idaho and Montana.

Damage. – Larvae attack needles throughout their period of elongation and cut them off within the needle sheath. Defoliation (fig. 123) thins out branch tips.

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Figure 123 - Defoliation caused by Pine Needle Sheathminer showing thinned branch tips.	Figure 124 - Closeup of Pine Needle Sheathminer damage showing feeding and webbing around needle bases.

Identification. – Look for sheath-mining damage and silken webbing around needle bases from June through August (fig. 124). Faded, damaged needles can be pulled out of sheaths. Brown pupae can be found in the mass of silken webbing around needle bases in late July. After egg hatch in August, larvae bore into needles to overwinter. Larvae, when mature in late spring, are less than one-fourth inch long. Adults are small, silvery moths with a wingspan of about three-eighths inch.

Similar damages. – Damage may be similar to that caused by sugar pine tortrix or pine needle casts. Sheaths mined by sheathminer, however, result in needles being easily pulled out leaving the sheath attached to the twig. Tortrix feed directly on needles, and needle casts result in shedding needles, sheath and all.

Link to Images in Forestry Images

References.

Anonymous. 1982. For. Insect & disease identification and management. USDA For. Serv.,Northern Region; Idaho Dept. of Lands, Insect and Disease Control; Montana Dept. of State Lands, Division of Forestry. 192 p.

Furniss, R. L., and V. M. Carolin. 1977.  Western For. Insects. USDA Forest Serv., Misc. pub. 1339, 654 p., illus.

Stevens, R. E. 1961. Pine needle sheathminer. USDA For. Serv., For. Pest Leaflet 65, 4 p., illus.

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