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Pinyon Ips

Ips confusus[3]

The pinyon ips is a small engraver beetle that tunnels under the bark of pinyon pines and kills stressed trees from the top down.[1][2]

Group
Insect
Order
Coleoptera
Family
Curculionidae
US records
6 states
Sources
3 cited
Updated
2026-10-16

No licensed photo of this species is available yet; the identification notes below describe what to look for.

On this page
  1. Identification
  2. Where it lives
  3. Biology
  4. Damage and signs
  5. Health risk
  6. Control
  7. Related profiles
  8. Common questions
  9. Sources

How to identify it

  • Adults are about 1/6 inch long and reddish brown to black, with a concave rear end ringed by prominent spines.[1]
  • Larvae are legless white grubs with brown heads.[1]
  • Signs include reddish or yellowish boring dust in bark crevices, pitch tubes about 3 inches long at entry holes, and Y- or H-shaped galleries under the bark.[1][2]

Where it lives

Found on two-leaf, singleleaf and other pinyon pines in Utah, Colorado and the Southwest.[1][2]

US map: public records from 6 states since 1990 (GBIF).

Biology and life cycle

Adults overwinter under the bark and emerge in early spring when temperatures rise above 50 degrees F; there are two and a half to three generations a year.[1]

Males mate with several females, creating a distinctive gallery pattern; larvae are the damaging stage.[1]

Damage and signs

  • Larvae feed on the inner bark and can introduce fungal pathogens; needles fade from green to yellow to reddish brown.[1][2]
  • Newly planted and stressed trees are highly susceptible, and large numbers of beetles develop in recently cut pinyon wood.[2]

Health risk

None to people or pets.[1][2]

Control

Prevention

Keep trees healthy and undamaged, and water pinyons during long droughts.[1][2]

Sanitation

Remove or debark infested material, and do not pile fresh pinyon slash near healthy trees.[1][2]

Pesticides

Where beetles are nearby, an insecticide applied to the bark before beetle flight can protect valuable or newly planted trees.[1][2]

Common questions

Why is my pinyon turning red from the top?
Pinyon ips kill trees from the top down; check for pitch tubes and boring dust.[1][2]
Can I keep pinyon firewood next to my trees?
Avoid piling fresh pinyon wood near healthy trees; beetles breed in recently cut wood.[2]

Sources

  1. Utah State University Extension (Integrated Pest Management), “Pinyon Ips (Ornamental Pest Guide).” extension.usu.edu/planthealth/ipm/ornamental-pest-guide/arthopods/bark-beetles/pinyon-ips.php (accessed 2026-10-16)
  2. Colorado State University Extension, “Pinyon Pine Diseases and Insects.” extension.colostate.edu/resource/pinyon-pine-diseases-and-insects/ (accessed 2026-10-16)
  3. iNaturalist, “Ips confusus taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/305536 (accessed 2026-10-06)

Updated 2026-10-16. Built from sourced records. Spot an error? Tell us.