Forest Insect Species and Host Trees


The following tables give the primary and secondary host trees for various forest insect pests found in Arizona. Refer to Table 1 for pines, Table 2 for firs, and Table 3 for spruces, juniper, aspen, and hardwoods.

HOST TREES OF FOREST INSECT PESTS Table 1
Pines: Pine Family (Pinaceae)

xx = primary host species
x = secondary host species
  Scientific Name Damage Area Ponderosa White Pine Chihuahua Pine Limber Pine Pinyon
Bark beetles              
Mountain pine beetle Dendroctonus ponderosae Bole xx xx x x x
Roundheaded pine beetle Dendroctonus adjunctus Bole xx xx x x  
Western pine beetle Dendroctonus brevicomis Bole xx        
Douglas-fir beetle Dendroctonus peudotsugae Bole          
Spruce beetle Dendroctonus rufipennis Bole          
Southern pine beetle Dendroctonus frontalis Bole x x x x  
Western balsam bark beetle Dryocoetes confusus Bole          
Arizona firve-spined Ips Ips lecontei Bole xx x xx    
Pine engraver beetle Ips pini Bole xx x x x x
Fir engraver beetle Scolytus ventralis Bole          
Red turpentine beetle Dendroctonus vallens Butt/Root collar xx x x x  
               
Defoliating insects              
Western spruce budworm Choristoneura occidentalis Foliage x x x x  
Douglas-fir tussock moth Orgyia pseudotsugata Foliage          
Pinyon needle miner Coleotechnites edulicola Foliage         xx
Ponderosa needle miner Coleotechnites ponderosae Foliage xx        
Janet's false hemlock looper Nepytia janetae Foliage          
Large aspen tortrix Choristoneura conflictana Foliage          
Western tent caterpillar Malacosoma californicum Foliage          
Fall webworm Hypantria cunea Foliage          
               
Shoot, twig, tip insects              
Southwestern pine tip moth Rhyacionia neomexicana Buds/Shoots xx        
Pinyon tip moth Dioryctria albovitella           xx
Juniper twig pruner Styloxus bicolor Twigs          
               
Wood borers              
Western cedar borer Trachykele blondeli Bole          
Pinyon pitch nodule moth Petrova arizonensis Shoots         xx
               
Sucking insects              
Spruce aphid Elatobium abietinum Foliage          
Pinyon needle scale Matsucoccus acalyptus Foliage         xx
Pine needle scale Chionaspis pinifoliae Foliage xx xx xx xx  
Cooley spruce gall adelgid Adelges cooleyi Foliage          
back to top



HOST TREES OF FOREST INSECT PESTS Table 2
Firs: Pine Family (Pinaceae)

xx = primary host species
x = secondary host species
  Scientific Name Damage Area Douglas-fir True-fir White fir Corkbark fir Subalpine fir
Bark beetles              
Mountain pine beetle Dendroctonus ponderosae Bole          
Roundheaded pine beetle Dendroctonus adjunctus Bole          
Western pine beetle Dendroctonus brevicomis Bole          
Douglas-fir beetle Dendroctonus peudotsugae Bole xx        
Spruce beetle Dendroctonus rufipennis Bole          
Southern pine beetle Dendroctonus frontalis Bole          
Western balsam bark beetle Dryocoetes confusus Bole   xx x x xx
Arizona firve-spined Ips Ips lecontei Bole          
Pine engraver beetle Ips pini Bole          
Fir engraver beetle Scolytus ventralis Bole xx xx xx    
Red turpentine beetle Dendroctonus vallens Butt/Root collar          
               
Defoliating insects              
Western spruce budworm Choristoneura occidentalis Foliage xx xx xx   xx
Douglas-fir tussock moth Orgyia pseudotsugata Foliage xx xx xx    
Pinyon needle miner Coleotechnites edulicola Foliage          
Ponderosa needle miner Coleotechnites ponderosae Foliage          
Janet's false hemlock looper Nepytia janetae Foliage       xx  
Large aspen tortrix Choristoneura conflictana Foliage          
Western tent caterpillar Malacosoma californicum Foliage          
Fall webworm Hypantria cunea Foliage          
               
Shoot, twig, tip insects              
Southwestern pine tip moth Rhyacionia neomexicana Buds/Shoots          
Pinyon tip moth Dioryctria albovitella            
Juniper twig pruner Styloxus bicolor Twigs          
               
Wood borers              
Western cedar borer Trachykele blondeli Bole          
Pinyon pitch nodule moth Petrova arizonensis Shoots          
               
Sucking insects              
Spruce aphid Elatobium abietinum Foliage x        
Pinyon needle scale Matsucoccus acalyptus Foliage          
Pine needle scale Chionaspis pinifoliae Foliage xx        
Cooley spruce gall adelgid Adelges cooleyi Foliage x        
back to top



HOST TREES OF FOREST INSECT PESTS Table 3
Spruces: Pine Family (Pinaceae)
Juniper: Cypress Family (Cupressaceae)
Aspen: Willow Family (Salicaceae)
Hardwoods

xx = primary host species
x = secondary host species
  Scientific Name Damage Area Engelmann Spruce Blue Spruce Juniper Aspen Hardwoods
Bark beetles              
Mountain pine beetle Dendroctonus ponderosae Bole          
Roundheaded pine beetle Dendroctonus adjunctus Bole          
Western pine beetle Dendroctonus brevicomis Bole          
Douglas-fir beetle Dendroctonus peudotsugae Bole          
Spruce beetle Dendroctonus rufipennis Bole xx xx      
Southern pine beetle Dendroctonus frontalis Bole          
Western balsam bark beetle Dryocoetes confusus Bole x x      
Arizona firve-spined Ips Ips lecontei Bole          
Pine engraver beetle Ips pini Bole          
Fir engraver beetle Scolytus ventralis Bole xx        
Red turpentine beetle Dendroctonus vallens Butt/Root collar          
               
Defoliating insects              
Western spruce budworm Choristoneura occidentalis Foliage xx xx      
Douglas-fir tussock moth Orgyia pseudotsugata Foliage xx xx      
Pinyon needle miner Coleotechnites edulicola Foliage          
Ponderosa needle miner Coleotechnites ponderosae Foliage          
Janet's false hemlock looper Nepytia janetae Foliage xx xx      
Large aspen tortrix Choristoneura conflictana Foliage       xx xx
Western tent caterpillar Malacosoma californicum Foliage       xx xx
Fall webworm Hypantria cunea Foliage         xx
               
Shoot, twig, tip insects              
Southwestern pine tip moth Rhyacionia neomexicana Buds/Shoots          
Pinyon tip moth Dioryctria albovitella            
Juniper twig pruner Styloxus bicolor Twigs     xx    
               
Wood borers              
Western cedar borer Trachykele blondeli Bole     xx    
Pinyon pitch nodule moth Petrova arizonensis Shoots          
               
Sucking insects              
Spruce aphid Elatobium abietinum Foliage xx xx      
Pinyon needle scale Matsucoccus acalyptus Foliage          
Pine needle scale Chionaspis pinifoliae Foliage xx xx      
Cooley spruce gall adelgid Adelges cooleyi Foliage xx xx      
back to top
Last Reviewed and Updated: March 18, 2003
Questions/Comments:azfh@cals.arizona.edu
 U.S. Forest Service School of Renewable Natural Resources