Bug FAQEastern Black-headed Budworm Moth
Acleris variana · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Tortricidae
Source: Wikipedia
The Eastern Black-headed Budworm Moth lives in Newfoundland, Cape Breton Island, the northeastern United States and across the coniferous forests of Canada to roughly Saskatchewan or eastern Alberta. Its caterpillars eat the needles of balsam fir and white spruce, which can harm those trees.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is found in Newfoundland, Cape Breton Island, the northeastern United States and the coniferous forest region of Canada, likely extending to Saskatchewan or eastern Alberta.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae mainly feed on balsam fir (Abies balsamea) and white spruce (Picea glauca).
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range includes Newfoundland, Cape Breton Island, the northeastern United States and the coniferous forests of Canada, probably reaching Saskatchewan or eastern Alberta.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 17 of 51 states and DC. Most records: New York, Vermont, Michigan, Maine, Washington, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
Where is this moth found?
It occurs in Newfoundland, Cape Breton Island, the northeastern United States and across Canada’s coniferous forests, likely to Saskatchewan or eastern Alberta.
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/Acleris_variana
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-26 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-26.