''Chionaspis pinifoliae'', the pine needle scale insect, is a common species of

scale insect Scale insects are small insects of the order Hemiptera, suborder Sternorrhyncha. Of dramatically variable appearance and extreme sexual dimorphism, they comprise the infraorder Coccomorpha which is considered a more convenient grouping than the ...

found on pine, spruce and other conifers across Canada and throughout the United States.Rose, A.H.; Lindquist, O.H. 1985. Insects of eastern spruces, fir and, hemlock, revised edition. Gov’t Can., Can. For. Serv., Ottawa, For. Tech. Rep. 23. 159 p. (cited in Coates et al. 1994, cited orig ed 1977) The species is particularly persistent on planted spruce in the Prairie Provinces in both rural and urban settings. In heavy populations, the needles may appear to be flecked with white. The insect overwinters in the egg stage under the white covering of the scale. In Saskatchewan, hatching dates vary from late May to late June. The newly hatched “crawlers” disperse, settle on old or new needles and begin scale development.

References

Insects of North America Insects described in 1856 Diaspididae {{Diaspididae-stub