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Photo#246360
Pitch moth larva - Retinia

Pitch moth larva - Retinia
Coconino National Forest, Arizona, USA
July 21, 2008
Found inside a hollow pouch of pitch on the bark of a dying ponderosa pine. The suspects I'm aware of are Synanthedon (Sesiidae) and Retinia (Petrova) (Tortricidae), but I haven't found pictures of either that help in assigning an ID to this one. I apparently didn't measure the larva, but the pitch mass was 18 mm long, for whatever that's worth.

Images of this individual: tag all
Pitch moth larva - Retinia Pitch moth larva - Retinia Pitch moth larva - Retinia Pitch moth larva - Retinia

Moved
Moved from Moths. Thanks for looking into this, Marius. I had not found any references to Retinia species being found on trunks rather than twigs.

 
I have taken most information
I have taken most information from Powell & Opler (2009).

Dioryctria?
How about Dioryctria (Pyralidae)?

 
Hmm...
That's a possibility I wasn't aware of. I just did a quick web search, and the images I could find of larvae in that genus don't look like this one. They also seem to make big messy pitch masses rather than a neat "pouch" like this one, but maybe this was some kind of fluke.

 
Retinia sp.
Hi Charley, I finally found you mystery moth. Those neat "pitch pouches" are made by larvae in the genus Retinia. Dioryctria construct large pitch masses, just like the sesiids. Species in the genus Retinia make hollow pouches on twigs, stems or even trunks. They are mostly associated with pines, but are found on other conifers too. See which Retinia species are found in your area, determine which ones take lodgepole pine and which ones feed on bark. I suspect this might be Retinia albicapitana, since it is a solitary nodule maker, has a preference for Pinus contorta and is widespread throughout US and Canada.

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