much of Canada and n US, southward in Appalachians
Habitat
Coniferous forests
Food
Needles and tender bark of white pine, the favorite, but will attack red and jack pines, balsam, fir, white, black and red spruces, and larch(1)
Life Cycle
Two-year life cycle. Larvae excavates galleries in coniferous trees, often after they are damaged by a fire, storm, etc. Common hosts are: Balsam fir, spruces and white pine
Eggs are laid in slits or niches chewed in the bark, near scars or in wrinkled areas.(1)
Remarks
The local (to Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada) common names of Oil Sands Beetle and Tar Sands Beetle are due to the attraction of this insect to oil sands. Apparently the attraction is the scent of bitumen, chemically similar to compounds released by the diseased or damaged coniferous trees where they are attracted to lay their eggs.