About Chionaspis pinifoliae (Fitch, 1856)
Chionaspis pinifoliae, commonly called the pine needle scale insect, is a widespread species of scale insect that lives on pine, spruce, and other conifers throughout Canada and the United States. This species is especially persistent on planted spruce in both rural and urban environments across Canada's Prairie Provinces. When populations grow large, the host plant's needles become flecked with visible white markings. This insect passes the winter as an egg, hidden beneath the white scale covering on host needles. Hatching dates in Saskatchewan range from late May to late June. In the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, this species can produce either one or two generations per year; the first generation of eggs hatches after an average total of 210 growing degree-days. The newly hatched young, called "crawlers", disperse to new locations, settle on either old or new needles, and begin developing their characteristic scale coverings.
