Pine Tip Moths
From Bugwoodwiki
Georgia Forestry Commission Forest Health Monitoring Factsheets
Written by Terry Price, Georgia Forestry Commission
Adapted for the web by the Bugwood Network
There are three species of pine tip moths occurring in Georgia: the Nantucket pine tip moth, Ryacionia frustrana, the pitch pine tip moth, R. rigidana, and the subtropical pine tip moth, R. subtropica (Figure 1).
The Nantucket pine tip moth is the most widely distributed species and causes the most damage to recently planted pines. All native pines up to about 15 feet in height are attacked. Eastern white pine is considered resistant. Slash and longleaf pines may be infested under certain conditions but are generally considered resistant. Loblolly and shortleaf are the favored hosts. Severe and repeated attacks often result in stunted, bushy, and deformed trees (Figure 2).
The adult Nantucket pine tip moth is about 1/4" in length with irregular brick red and coppery patches on the forewings. The wingspan is about 1/2". The pitch pine moth range overlaps with the Nantucket pine tip moth and positive field identification is difficult. However, they have similar habits. The larvae of both species are small, yellowish to brownish and are approximately 1/8" in length.
Adult pine tip moths of the over wintering generation emerge in early spring. Depending on weather conditions, spring emergence may occur as early as January in South Georgia or as late as April in North Georgia. Egg laying begins soon after adult emergence. The temperature greatly influences the incubation period. After the larvae hatch they begin to feed on new shoots
 Photo by James A. Richmond, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org Figure 1 |  Photo by Terry Price, Georgia Forestry Commission, Bugwood.org Figure 2 |  Photo by Terry Price, Georgia Forestry Commission, Bugwood.org Figure 3 |
near the base of the needles or the base of the buds. A protective web is spun over their bodies while they feed. Eventually this web becomes covered with pitch and is the characteristic sign of tip moth infestations (Figure 3). When the larvae have completed their development, a cocoon is spun in the hollowed out shoot tip and pupation occurs within. Winter is passed as pupae within the injured tips. Two to five generations occur per year in Georgia.
The subtropical pine tip moth occurs in South Georgia on slash pine. Damage is usually of no significance in forest plantings but control may be justified in newly established tree improvement orchards.
Control of the Nantucket pine tip moth in Christmas tree plantations and in newly established seed orchard plantings is best achieved by deploying pheromone-baited traps. These traps help determine moth emergence so that insecticide applications will coincide with egg laying and larval hatching. Table 3 lists the site number, location and optimal spray periods for 70 weather stations located throughout Georgia.
Location
| SiteNo. | Spray Period 1 | Spray Period 2 | Spray Period 3 | Spray Period 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Albany | March 17-22 | May 21-25 | July 10-14 | Aug 19-23 |
| 2 | Alma | -a | |||
| 3 | Alpharetta | April 21-25 | June 30-July 4 | Aug 24-28 | |
| 4 | Americus | March 22-26 | May 26-30 | July 15-19 | Aug 29-Sept 2 |
| 5 | Appling | April 11-15 | June 20-24 | Aug 9-13 | |
| 6 | Ashburn | March 27-31 | May 26-30 | July 15-19 | Aug 29-Sept 2 |
| 7 | Athens | April 16-20 | June 20-24 | Aug 4-8 | |
| 8 | Atlanta | April 16-20 | June 15-19 | Aug 4-8 | |
| 9 | Augusta | April 1-5 | May 31-June 4 | July 20-24 | Sept 3-7 |
| 10 | Bainbridge | March 12-16 | May 21-25 | July 10-14 | Aug 19-23 |
| 11 | Blairsville | ||||
| 12 | Brunswick | ||||
| 13 | Byron | April 1-5 | June 5-9 | July 25-29 | Sept 8-12 |
| 14 | Calhoun | April 16-20 | June 25-29 | Aug 14-18 | |
| 15 | Camilla | ||||
| 16 | Carrollton | April 16-20 | June 20-24 | Aug 14-18 | |
| 17 | Cartersville | April 16-20 | June 20-24 | Aug 9-13 | |
| 18 | Cedartown | April 16-20 | June 20-24 | Aug 9-13 | |
| 19 | Claxton | March 22-26 | May 26-30 | July 20-24 | Aug 29-Sept 2 |
| 20 | Clayton | April 26-30 | July 5-9 | Sept 8-12 | |
| 21 | Colquitt | March 12-16 | May 16-20 | July 10-14 | Aug 19-23 |
| 22 | Columbus | March 17-31 | May 26-30 | July 15-19 | Aug 29-Sept 2 |
| 23 | Commerce | April 16-20 | June 25-29 | Aug 14-18 | |
| 24 | Cordele | March 17-21 | May 21-25 | July 10-14 | Aug 19-23 |
| 25 | Cornelia | April 21-25 | June 30-July 4 | Aug 29-Spet 2 | |
| 26 | Covington | April 11-15 | July 15-19 | Aug 4-8 | |
| 27 | Cuthbert | March 17-21 | May 21-25 | July 10-14 | Aug 19-23 |
| 28 | Dalton | April 21-25 | June 25-29 | Aug 14-18 | |
| 29 | Douglas | March 17-21 | May 21-25 | July 15-19 | Aug 24-28 |
| 30 | Dublin | March 22-26 | May 26-30 | July 15-19 | Aug 29-Sept 2 |
| 31 | Eastman | March 22-26 | May 26-30 | July 15-19 | Aug 29-Sept 2 |
| 32 | Elberton | April 11-15 | June 20-24 | Aug 14-18 | |
| 33 | Experiment | April 16-20 | June 20-24 | Aug 9-13 | |
| 34 | Fargo | March 12-16 | May 16-20 | July 10-14 | Aug 19-23 |
| 35 | Fitzgerald | March 17-21 | May 21-25 | July 10-14 | Aug 19-23 |
| 36 | Folkston | ||||
| 37 | Forsyth | April 1-5 | June 5-9 | July 25-29 | Sept 13-17 |
| 38 | Gainesville | April 21-25 | June 25-29 | Aug 14-18 | |
| 39 | Helen | April 21-25 | July 5-9 | Aug 29-Sept 2 | |
| 40 | Homerville | March 12-16 | May 16-20 | July 10-14 | Aug 24-28 |
| 41 | Jasper | April 21-25 | June 30-July 4 | Aug 24-28 | |
| 42 | LaFayette | April 21-25 | June 25-29 | Aug 19-23 | |
| 43 | Louisville | March 22-26 | May 26-30 | July 15-19 | Aug 29-Sept 2 |
| 44 | Lumpkin | March 22-26 | May 26-30 | July 20-24 | Sept 3-7 |
| 45 | Macon | March 27-31 | May 26-30 | July 15-19 | Aug 29-Sept 2 |
| 46 | Midville | March 27-31 | May 31-June 4 | July 20-24 | Sept 3-7 |
| 47 | Milledgeville | April 6-10 | June 5-9 | July 25-29 | Sept 13-17 |
| 48 | Millen | March 17-21 | May 26-20 | July 15-19 | Aug 24-28 |
| 49 | Monticello | April 6-10 | June 5-9 | July 25-29 | Sept 13-17 |
| 50 | Moultrie | ||||
| 51 | Nahunta | March 7-11 | May 16-20 | July 10-14 | Aug 24-28 |
| 52 | Newnan | April 11-15 | June 15-19 | Aug 4-8 | |
| 53 | Quitman | ||||
| 54 | Rome | April 16-20 | June 20-24 | Aug 9-13 | |
| 55 | Sandersville | April 1-5 | June 5-9 | July 25-29 | Sept 8-12 |
| 56 | Sapelo Island | March 17-21 | May 21-25 | July 10-14 | Aug 24-28 |
| 57 | Savannah | March 17-21 | May 21-25 | July 10-14 | Aug 19-23 |
| 58 | Siloam | April 6-10 | June 5-9 | July 30-Aug 3 | Sept 13-17 |
| 59 | Surrency | March 12-16 | May 21-25 | July 10-14 | Aug 29-Sept 2 |
| 60 | Swainsboro | March 22-26 | May 26-30 | July 15-19 | Aug 24-28 |
| 61 | Talbotton | March 27-31 | May 31-June 4 | July 25-29 | Sept 8-12 |
| 62 | Thomaston | March 27-31 | May 31-June 4 | July 25-29 | Sept 8-12 |
| 63 | Thomasville | ||||
| 64 | Tifton | March 17-21 | May 21-25 | July 10-14 | Aug 24-28 |
| 65 | Warrenton | April 6-10 | June 5-9 | July 25-29 | Sept 8-12 |
| 66 | Washington | April 16-20 | June 20-24 | Aug 9-13 | |
| 67 | Waycross | ||||
| 68 | Waynesboro | April 1-5 | May 31- June 4 | July 25-29 | Sept 8-12 |
| 69 | West Point | April 1-5 | June 5-9 | July 25-29 | Sept 8-12 |
| 70 | Winder | April 16-20 | June 20-24 | Aug 14-18 |
"-a" refers to spray periods that are not applicable to spray timing because models have not been developed for populations with 2 or 5 annual generations.
