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White Pine Aphid

Cinara strobi[3]

The white pine aphid is a large conifer aphid that feeds on the twigs, branches and trunks of eastern white pine.[1][2]

Group
Insect
Order
Hemiptera
Family
Aphididae
US records
18 states
Sources
3 cited
Updated
2026-10-16
White pine aphids, large black aphids, on a white pine twig
White pine aphids, large black aphids, on a white pine twig. (c) botanygirl, some rights reserved (CC BY) — via iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0
On this page
  1. Identification
  2. Look-alikes
  3. Where it lives
  4. Biology
  5. Damage and signs
  6. Health risk
  7. Control
  8. Related profiles
  9. Common questions
  10. Sources

How to identify it

  • It is a large, long-legged aphid, black with white spots; winged forms are up to 0.16 inch long.[1][2]
  • Shiny black overwintering eggs on the needles can be seen with magnification.[1]

Look-alikes

Look-alikeHow to tell them apart
TicksIndoors, people sometimes mistake them for ticks, but aphids are soft and crush easily (leaving a purple stain).[2]

Where it lives

Found on eastern white pine in New England and North Carolina.[1][2]

US map: public records from 18 states since 1990 (GBIF).

Biology and life cycle

Populations are often large in fall and through mild late winters and springs; at higher elevations they overwinter as eggs that hatch very early in spring.[2]

UMass suggests looking for aphids in May and June.[1]

Damage and signs

  • Light to moderate infestations do little harm, but heavy ones produce honeydew and black sooty mold and can kill twigs and seedlings.[1][2]

Health risk

None to people or pets; aphids on indoor Christmas trees are a nuisance only.[2]

Control

Traps and physical control

Spray aphids off with a strong jet of water, or remove overwintering eggs before they hatch.[1]

Biological control

Lady beetles, lacewings, hover flies, predatory midges and parasitic wasps usually bring populations down.[1][2]

Pesticides

If natural enemies fail, insecticidal soaps and oils are labeled for aphids.[2]

Common questions

What are the black bugs crawling off my Christmas tree?
Often white pine aphids leaving a drying white pine.[2]

Sources

  1. UMass Extension Landscape, Nursery and Urban Forestry Program (Landscape Insect & Mite Guide), “Cinara strobi (White Pine Aphid).” www.umass.edu/agriculture-food-environment/landscape/publications-resources/insect-mite-guide/cinara-strobi (accessed 2026-10-16)
  2. NC State Extension, “White Pine Aphid (PDIC Factsheet).” content.ces.ncsu.edu/white-pine-aphid (accessed 2026-10-16)
  3. iNaturalist, “Cinara strobi taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/366315 (accessed 2026-10-06)

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