18.01. Pityophthorus balcanicus (Pfeffer, 1940)
Presence
E: AL BH BU MC RO SL* SK YU
Older catalogs and keys – citations of name
Grüne 1979: Pityophthorus balcanicus Pfeffer, 1940; Freude, Harde, Lohse 1981: Pityophthorus henscheli Seitner (balcanicus Pfeffer (1940)); Titovšek 1988: Pityophthorus balcanicus Pfeffer; Pfeffer & Knížek 1993: P. balcanicus Pfeffer, 1940; Pfeffer 1995: P. balcanicus Pfeffer, 1940.
Figure 68: Pityophthorus balcanicus, distribution map according to historical and recent data
Ecology and presence in Slovenia
The species is distributed in the former Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and Albania. It is rare in Slovenia, with only two known records (in Primorska and Notranjska), both hosted by Pinus nigra (Figure 68). Data for Serbia: the species is not common, populations are not numerous (Mihajlović 2008). It inhabits thin branches in the tops of pines (Pinus nigra, P. cembra, P. heldreichii and P. mugo). The tops of infested trees die back as a result of infestation. A polygamous species, it develops two generations annually (first generation in May, second in July and August). The tunnel system is star-shaped. The imago is blackish brown, 1.8-1.9 mm long.