Chionaspis pinifoliae

Photo Credit: Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources - Forestry Archive, Bugwood.org
Chionaspis pinifoliae
Common Name: pine needle scale
Animal Guild: Insect
Class > Order > Family: Insecta > Hemiptera > Diaspididae
Where is the species found?
States & Provinces
AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY
Which phenophases should I observe?
Do you see/hear...?
Activity Adults
One or more adults are seen or heard moving about or at rest. For Chionaspis pinifoliae, the wingless, waxy-armored, adult females are settled in one spot on a plant and do not move whereas the winged, adult males are mobile. Also include waxy-armored instars as they are difficult to distinguish from adults.
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For abundance, enter the number of individual animals observed in this phenophase.
Male adults
One or more adult males are seen moving about or at rest. For Chionaspis pinifoliae, males have wings whereas females do not.

For abundance, enter the number of individual animals observed in this phenophase.
Feeding
One or more individuals are seen feeding. If possible, record the name of the species or substance being eaten or describe it in the comments field. For Chionaspis pinifoliae, any live individual that is settled under its waxy armor in one spot on a plant can be assumed to be feeding on that plant.

For abundance, enter the number of individual animals observed in this phenophase.
Reproduction Mating
A male and female are seen coupled in a mating position, usually with the male on top of the female.

For abundance, enter the number of individual animals observed in this phenophase.
Eggs
One or more eggs are seen. For Chionaspis pinifoliae, eggs are present under the scale body when a waxy, white "tail" is visible behind the adult female body, generally over the winter into early spring and again in mid summer.

For abundance, enter the number of individual animals observed in this phenophase.
Development Crawlers
One or more crawlers are seen moving about or at rest. For Chionaspis pinifoliae, these first-instar nymphs are yellow to rust in color and move around before settling in one spot on a plant.

For abundance, enter the number of individual animals observed in this phenophase.
Dead adults
One or more dead adults are seen. For Chionaspis pinifoliae, a dead adult is easily flaked off its substrate. Adults may be killed by a parasite, in which case a small exit hole is visible on top of the scale body.

For abundance, enter the number of individual animals observed in this phenophase.
Method Individuals in a trap
One or more individuals are seen caught in a trap.

For abundance, enter the number of individual animals observed in this phenophase.
What do these phenophases look like?

The following Phenophase Photo Guides for this species have been vetted for accuracy by the USA-NPN National Coordinating Office. Most photo guides are developed for a particular local or regional monitoring effort, and some of the content may not apply to your effort or your region. However, we make them available to provide as much help as they may in illustrating phenophases for this species. If you have high quality phenophase photos that you are willing to share with us, please visit the Phenophase Photo Guidelines page.

Be aware there is variation from individual to individual within a species, especially across different regions, so your plant may not look exactly like the one pictured.

Since they do not always include complete definitions for the species, use these photo guides ONLY in conjunction with the official Nature's Notebook phenophase defintions included in the table above, in the phenophase definition sheet that downloads with the datasheet, or in the Observe screen in the mobile app.