Bug FAQElder Shoot Borer Moth
Achatodes zeae · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Elder Shoot Borer
Source: Wikipedia
The elder shoot borer moth is a noctuid moth known as a spindle worm. Its larvae eat the leaves they hatch in, then move into the lateral shoots of elder bushes where they feed and eventually bore into dead canes to pupate, harming the plants. Adults lay eggs in July and August, and the eggs hatch about nine months later.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The elder shoot borer moth belongs to the family Noctuidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
The species became notable when it was found boring into elder bush shoots, causing damage to the plants.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
In 1927 many were found boring into the shoots of common elder bushes in Wisconsin, USA.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae first feed on the leaves they hatch in and later feed on the lateral shoots of the elder bush.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adult moths lay eggs in July and August, and the eggs hatch roughly nine months later. After hatching, larvae move toward ground shoots, feed upward into shoots, and by mid-June are fully developed and bore into dead canes to pupate.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Egg-laying occurs in July and August.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 37 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Michigan, Vermont, Ohio, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Minnesota.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What plants does the elder shoot borer moth damage?
Its larvae bore into the shoots of common elder bushes, harming the plant.
Source: Wikipedia
When are the eggs of the elder shoot borer moth laid?
Adults lay eggs in July and August.
Source: Wikipedia
How long does it take for the eggs to hatch?
The eggs hatch about nine months after being laid.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the larvae feed on after hatching?
They first eat the leaves they hatch in, then move into the lateral shoots of the elder bush.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Noctuidae)
Ipsilon Dart MothAgrotis ipsilonDamages trees, gardens or crops
Fall Armyworm MothSpodoptera frugiperdaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Army Cutworm MothEuxoa auxiliarisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Large Yellow UnderwingNoctua pronubaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Silver ΥAutographa gamma
American DaggerAcronicta americanaCan irritate skinSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achatodes_zeae
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-25 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-25.