Author: Issiki, 1961
Species Overview:
Adult: 20-25 mm wingspan; pale greyish brown, with blackish-brown markings and dark brown strigulation; hindwings grey- brown.
Larva: 15 mm; head and prothoracic plate blackish brown. Body pale green, darker ventrally, dorsal half brownish; pinacula pale, strongly contrasting with body colour. Thoracic legs black [Lozotaenia coniferana larva ].
Taxonomic Description:
Male:
Lozotaenia coniferana male
External characters: Labial palpus, head and antenna dark brown. Forewing 9-10 mm, without costal fold, slightly dilated posteriorly; costa bent to middle, then less so, apex round; termen convex. Ground colour pale greyish brown, strigulated with dark brown; markings blackish-brown. Basal blotch reaching one-quarter of dorsum, extending to middle; median fascia from beyond one-third of costa to before tornus; sub-apical blotch variably developed, often strongly reduced; cilia pale greyish brown. Hindwing pale greyish brown; cilia concolorous with ground colour (Yasuda, 1975b).
male genitalia L. coniferana
Genitalia: Uncus short, with spoon-shaped top; socii small; gnathos with a terminal short hook. Transtilla strong laterally, dentate, with curved, narrow, median part. Aedeagus elongate, sharply pointed and slightly curved.
Female:
External characters: Forewing 10-12 mm, dilated posteriorly, costa moderately arced, apex short, termen convex, not oblique. Ground colour as in male, markings more reduced, coalescent with distinct transverse strigulation. Basal blotch and subapical markings often atrophied; spots or strigulae present along termen. Hindwing pale greyish brown, cilia concolorous with ground colour.
female gen. L. coniferana
Genitalia: Antrum tapering anteriorly; ductus bursae thin beyond antrum, provided with a short sclerite and with a short cestum in the middle; signum present as a sharp thorn, without capitulum.
Biology:
There is a single generation in Northern Japan. The small larvae (second or third instar) construct hibernacula under loose flakes of bark or in other protected situations. Upon emergence in spring, the larvae feed on newly developing terminal growth, spinning leaves into a nest. Pupation occurs in the leaves, probably in the last larval shelter in mid July and lasts from seven to fourteen days, depending on weather conditions. Adults fly in July (Yasuda, 1975b).
Host plants:
Abies sachalinensis, Abies homolepis, Abies concolor, Picea excelsa, Picea pungens, Picea alba.
Damage:
Larvae feed on newly developing terminal growth, spinning leaves into a nest and causing defoliation.
Distribution:
Japan: Hokkaido, Honshu; Korea (only one specimen collected).
Pheromone:
Pheromone unknown.
Parasitoids:
Pimpla disparis Viereck (Ichneumonidae)
Teleutaea sachalinensis Uchida (Ichneumonidae)
Mesopolobus tortricidis Kamijo (Pteromalidae)