Zimmerman Pine Moth (Dioryctria zimmermani)
Latin Name: Dioryctria zimmermani
Common Name: Zimmerman Pine Moth
Appearance:
The Zimmerman pine moth, Dioryctria zimmermani, belongs to the Pyralidae family of moths.
Adult Zimmerman pine moths are medium-sized moths with zigzag lines on their grey and red-brown wings. The wingspan is around 37 millimetres.
The forewings have zigzag bright and dark lines and are mottled grey and red/brown.
Larvae range in color from dirty white to light grey and can grow one inch long. Pitch masses beneath the bark and fresh shoots are the only places where they may be found.
Host plants:
Pines (Pinus species), particularly Scots and Austrian pines.
Territory:
It is found in southern Canada and the northeastern and Great Lakes areas of the United States.
Damage caused by Zimmerman Pine Moth:
Damage is created by growing caterpillars tunneling into the trunk and branches, generating irregular gouge holes beneath the bark. Popcorn-like clumps of sap ooze and gather on the surface where insect tunneling occurs. After a recent injury, the sap is fragile and may be readily peeled away, revealing the feeding caterpillar’s tunnel. After the damage, hardened sap may persist on the tree for a year or longer. The upper half of the tree is frequently damaged, and feeding is often concentrated at the point where the branches meet the trunk. This causes the tree to weaken, leading to limbs withering or breaking off.
Life history and Habits:
Zimmerman pine moths have a one-year life cycle and spend the winter as juvenile caterpillars beneath afflicted tree bark scales. Larvae become active in mid-to-late April, migrating to the base of branches or shoots and burrowing within. Larvae continue to eat until July when they pupate in a pitch-filled chamber. Adult moths emerge from afflicted trees and deposit eggs near wounds or pre-existing piles of the pitch in late July and August. The eggs hatch in about a week and the larvae only eat for a few days before preparing to overwinter under bark scales. Every year, there is a new generation.
