South coastal coneworm, Dioryctria ebeli Mutuura & Munroe ⁶ (21, 41, 53)

BIOLOGY. - The south coastal coneworm has repeated generations per year, possibly as many as six in Florida. Spring infestations occur in conelets infected by southern cone rust. During the summer and early fall, cones are infested. An overwintering infestation occurs in fusiform rust galls and infrequently in shoot material.

INSECT IDENTIFICATION. - Larvae of the south coastal coneworm are reddish-purple above, paling beneath, and with greenish tints especially in fully mature larvae. Abdominal seta-bearing elevations are brown, not conspicuous; pit patterns are pale, inconspicuous.

The forewings of the moths have white crossbands and markings which blend into the gray background. A pair of pale-yellow spots occurs about midway along the hind margin of the forewing. Raised tufts of scales, characteristic of many coneworm species, are lacking in this species as well as in the webbing coneworm.

Adult. (3 1/2X)

Larva. (3X)

DAMAGE IDENTIFICATION. - Infested cones generally have only frass pushed to the surface through entry holes. The south coastal coneworm is frequently a secondary invader of previously damaged cones, such as those infested by the southern pine coneworm. Internally, the damage is a maze of galleries.

Damage to loblolly pine cone. (1X)

IMPORTANCE. - The rather limited distribution of this species, its spring association with diseased conelets, plus a tendency to secondarily infest damaged cones, suggest that it be considered of less importance than the southern pine coneworm. However, it appears to become more prevalent in maturing cones where it obviously causes primary destruction.

⁶ This has appeared in the literature as D. abietella (D. & S.) and D. abietivorella (Grote) in previous reports from the Southeastern United States.