The Pine Needleminer Moth is part of a complex of similar species mining pine needles as caterpillars. A possible related undescribed species has a gray vertex and top of thorax. Specimens of this undescribed species are curated in the USNM collection (as of 2019) as "Exoteleia sp.", separate from the similar Pine Needleminer Moth, which has a white vertex and top of thorax as curated. Hodges (1985) reviewed the several eastern Exoteleia species, noted evidence of what may be several undescribed species, and discussed the difficulties in defining the species limits. Adamski et al. (2010) showed four DNA clusters related to E. pinifoliella but could not conclude how many species may be represented, choosing instead to refer to the group as the pinifoliella complex. Both white-vertex and gray-vertex forms are confirmed in Maryland flying from May to August.
Host plants include Table Mountain Pine.
There are 109 records in the project database.
GA | AL | WA | FR | CL | MO | HO | BA | BC | HA | CE | PG | AA | CV | CH | SM | KE | QA | CN | TA | DO | WI | SO | WO |