Bug FAQBlack-tipped Rudenia Moth
Rudenia leguminana · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Tortricidae
The black-tipped rudenia moth is a small moth with forewings about 6 to 7 mm long. It lives across the United States from Connecticut to Florida and west to California, and also occurs in several Mexican states. Its caterpillars feed on beans and related plants such as mesquite, palo verde and Japanese honey locust.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The species is called Rudenia leguminana, commonly known as the black-tipped rudenia moth.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Forewing length ranges from 6 to 7 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on various Fabaceae plants, including mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa), palo verde (Parkinsonia aculeata), and the pods of Japanese honey locust (Gleditsia japonica).
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range includes much of the United States and parts of Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 28 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Arizona, Oklahoma, Indiana, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Illinois.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
How big is the black-tipped rudenia moth?
Its forewings measure about 6 to 7 mm in length.
Source: Wikipedia
Where can I find this moth?
It occurs from southern Connecticut to Florida and west to California in the U.S., and also in several Mexican states.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the caterpillars eat?
They feed on Fabaceae species such as mesquite, palo verde, and Japanese honey locust pods.
Source: Wikipedia
What is the scientific name of the black-tipped rudenia moth?
The species is Rudenia leguminana.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Tortricidae)
Oblique-banded Leafroller MothChoristoneura rosaceanaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Garden TortrixClepsis peritanaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Common MarbleSyricoris lacunanaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Red-banded Leafroller MothArgyrotaenia velutinanaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Light Brown Apple MothEpiphyas postvittanaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Aster and Reddish Eucosma Moths and AlliesEucosma parmatanaSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudenia_leguminana
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-25 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-25.