| Coleotechnites piceaella | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Gelechiidae |
| Genus: | Coleotechnites |
| Species: | C. piceaella |
| Binomial name | |
| Coleotechnites piceaella (Kearfott, 1903) |
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| Synonyms | |
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The Orange Spruce Needleminer (Coleotechnites piceaella) is a moth of the Gelechiidae family. It is found in north-eastern United States and Canada. It is an introduced species in Europe and was first recorded from Great Britain in 1952, then Germany in 1963 and has expanded from there over all of central Europe, towards France, Italy and Hungary.
There is one generation per year.
The larvae feed on various spruces, including Picea omorika and Picea pungens. The larvae mine needles that are bound loosely with silk during summer and fall. After spending the winter in a hollowed needle, it eats buds or mines needles formed during the previous year, again tying them with silk.