This booklet is a guide to insects that limit seed production by the major pine species native to the Southern United States. It is intended for use primarily by foresters and tree improvement workers. Major emphasis in this guide is on insects of longleaf, shortleaf, loblolly, and slash pines. Available information is also provided on other species, including eastern white, Virginia, and Table Mountain pine. Pitch, pond, spruce, and sand pines are excluded for lack of pertinent data.

Research in recent years has demonstrated that insects are a major factor limiting the production of both cone crops and viable seeds. Before the orchard manager can consider control, however, he must know what insects are causing the damage. This guide is designed for such identification, with emphasis on the use of damage specimens.

To most effectively use this guide, samples of the insect damage should be collected, then identified by direct comparison with illustrations provided and by keying of damaged material.

Where it is feasible, the user may wish to collect or rear insects from the damaged host material. This procedure may be needed to positively identify the species of insect pest. To this end, photographs, descrip- tions, and keys to various insect forms are included. Illustrations and descriptions of adults are also useful in the identification of specimens captured in light traps or by other means.

The guide groups damage into three categories - flower and conelet damage, cone damage, and seed damage. 4 Each category makes up a separate section of this booklet, and each section begins with a damage identification key. In most instances, the user should begin to identify his insect problem by refer- ring to one of these three keys on the pages indicated:

• Flower and Conelet Damage - page 5
• Cone Damage -page 15
• Seed Damage-page 33

These keys lead to a concise summary of the biology, damage, and importance of each insect species. These summaries represent the concensus of the authors on information gleaned both from the literature and personal knowledge. Hence, no attempt is made to cite the authority of each statement. However, references are listed by number in parentheses following each species name. These numbers refer to the selected references at the end of the guide.

Distribution maps are included for all insect species, providing at a glance each insect's expected southern distribution. Knowledge of some distributions is incomplete. Accordingly, the range maps should be used as general rather than absolute guides.

Insect species and their pine hosts are tabulated for each of the three damage categories. Insect-host relationships are based upon our present knowledge. In some instances, insect-host associations are uncertain; these are designated by a question mark.

A summary of insect damage periods shows when each insect species is likely to cause damage. It is a further aid in specific identification.

Illustrations and a key to the larvae of cone boring caterpillars are included because of the importance of this group, the similarity of the damage they inflict on the host, and the likelihood of the larvae being present in the damaged host material collected. A glossary at the end of this guide defines certain technical terms which might be unfamiliar to the user, and a host list provides scientific names of the host species.

In identifying the insect causing damage, the reader should make use of as much information as possi- ble. He should use the range maps, the summary of insect occurrence by host pines, the summary of insect damage periods, keys, and color photographs. In most instances, the attacking insect may be narrowed down to one or two species using only the colored photographs. Individual descriptions of the insects and their damage should confirm identification in nearly all cases.

For more information, please contact:

• Alexander Mangini, Entomologist, Forest Health Protection, Alexandria Field Office, Alexandria, LA. Phone: (318) 473-7296, E-Mail: amangini@fs.fed.us

• John W. Taylor, Integrated Pest Management Specialist, Forest Health Protection, Southern Regional Office, Atlanta, GA. Phone: (404) 347-2718, E-Mail: jwtaylor@fs.fed.us

• Donald Duerr, Entomology Group Leader, Forest Health Protection, Southern Regional Office, Atlanta, GA. Phone: (404) 347-3541, E-Mail: dduerr@fs.fed.us

¹ Research Entomologist, Southeastern Forest Experiment Station, Forestry Sciences Laboratory, Athens, Ga. (Retired)

² Applications Coordinator, Canada/USA Spruce Budworm Program - West, Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, Portland, Oregon. (Retired)

³ Pesticide Specialist, Southeastern Area, State and Private Forestry, Atlanta, Georgia. (Retired)

⁴ These reproductive structures are defined in the glossary on page 41.