White Pine Aphid
Egg-The blackish egg is usually laid in an end-to-end row of eight or more eggs on the long-needled pines.
Nymph-The nymph is similar to the adult in body appearance, but it is smaller and wingless.
Host Plants -White pine is the only known host of the white pine aphid.
Damage -This pest feeds on twigs and branches. Young trees or individual branches of large trees may be killed by heavy infestations, or their growth may be seriously reduced.
Life History -Aphids in the genus Cinara are the largest of the pine-feeding aphids. One outstanding feature of a heavy infestation is sooty mold, a dark fungus that grows in the honeydew excreted by the aphids as they feed.
The white pine aphid usually overwinters in the egg stage; but if the weather is mild, the last generation may persist into the winter. Six generations in 1 year are not unusual; the new generations often move to fresh sites on the tree as the season progresses. The life cycle is complex. For example, adults of the intermediate summer generations consist of females only, some winged and others wingless, which give birth to living young. Males occur only in the late fall generation, which produces the overwintering eggs.
Control is usually unnecessary in forest areas. When control on ornamentals is required, a contact insecticide should be satisfactory. Often two applications, 7 or 10 days apart, are needed to avoid reinfestation from plants in untreated areas and from those that missed the first application. Treatment should be repeated if aphids reappear. For specific chemical controls, see the current state extension service recommendations.