Dogwood Borer Moth

Synanthedon scitula · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Sesiidae

Also called: Dogwood Borer

Damages trees, gardens or crops. The dogwood borer damages a wide range of trees and shrubs, including dogwood, pecan, apple, oak and many others.

Source: Wikipedia

Dogwood Borer Moth
Photo: iNaturalist user, CC0

Adults are small clearwing moths with a 18-22 mm wingspan and navy-blue bodies marked with yellow. Larvae tunnel inside host trees, pupating in a silken cocoon with frass for 8-20 days before emerging as adults in summer.

Source: Wikipedia

How to recognize it

Females have an entirely yellow fourth abdominal segment; males have a black segment with a narrow yellow ring.

Source: Wikipedia

Size

The average adult wing span ranges from 18 to 22 millimetres.

Source: Wikipedia

Is it a pest in the house?

The dogwood borer is a pest of many plants, notably dogwood and pecan trees.

Source: Wikipedia

How to get rid of it

The most recommended control method is to prevent the development of burrknots on host trees.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it lives

It is notorious because of the severe damage it can cause and its widespread distribution.

Source: Wikipedia

Life cycle

Larvae pupate inside their feeding tunnel inside the host, building a tough silken cocoon that incorporates bits of frass. Pupation lasts between 8 and 20 days, depending on temperature and other factors.

Source: Wikipedia

When you see it

In the Northeast, adults emerge from early June through early September, with a peak in mid-July. Further south, adult emergence starts earlier in the season.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it is found in the US

Recorded in 42 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Michigan, New York, Louisiana, Colorado, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Minnesota.

Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.

Source: GBIF

Months it is reported in the US

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Source: GBIF

More photos

Dogwood Borer Moth photo 2
Photo: Healthy Yards, CC BY
Dogwood Borer Moth photo 3
Photo: iNaturalist user, CC0
Dogwood Borer Moth photo 4
Photo: iNaturalist user, CC0
Dogwood Borer Moth photo 5
Photo: iNaturalist user, CC0

Questions people ask

How can I control dogwood borer infestations?

Prevent burrknot formation on trees, as this is the primary recommended control method; biological agents like fungi and parasitoids exist but are not yet reliably effective.

Source: Wikipedia

When are adult dogwood borers active?

Adults appear from early June to early September in the Northeast, peaking in mid-July, and emerge earlier in more southern regions.

Source: Wikipedia

Same family (Sesiidae)

Purplish CopperPurplish CopperLycaena helloidesSquash Vine BorerSquash Vine BorerEichlinia cucurbitaeDamages trees, gardens or cropsBronze CopperBronze CopperLycaena hyllusMaple Callus Borer MothMaple Callus Borer MothSynanthedon acerniDamages trees, gardens or cropsSouthern Red RimSouthern Red RimBiblis hyperiaPeachtree Borer MothPeachtree Borer MothSynanthedon exitiosaDamages trees, gardens or crops

Sources

  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synanthedon_scitula

Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia

Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.

How this page works

This is one bug's fact sheet. The colored box at the top says whether it is dangerous. Sections below cover how to recognize it, whether it is a pest, and how to deal with it. The US map shows which states have records; tap a state to see other bugs there.

Every fact on Bug FAQ comes from a named source (university extension sites, government agencies, GBIF, iNaturalist, Wikipedia). The source is linked next to each section. If we have no source for something, we leave it out.