When populations are high, adults may breed in spruce, fir, and larch logs that occur in stands mixed with pine. Various species of blue stain fungi are associated with this bark beetle. Adults use host volatiles such as alpha-pinene to locate suitable host material for breeding. Females initiate gallery systems and soon one male joins each female. After mating, females construct individual vertical egg galleries within the inner bark and outer sapwood.
Females lay eggs singly in niches that are cut into both sides of the egg gallery.
Most larvae complete development, pupate, and transform to adults in May and June. Damaged shoots on Scotch Pine. The newly formed adults tunnel through the outer bark, creating circular exit holes about 2mm in diameter. They then fly to the crowns of living, healthy pine trees of all ages, but prefer the taller trees in any particular area. Adults feed primarily inside lateral shoots, mostly in the upper half of the crown from May through October.