Bug FAQEuropean Pine Shoot Moth
Rhyacionia buoliana · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Tortricidae
Also called: Pine Shoot Moth
Source: Wikipedia
The European pine shoot moth has a wingspan of about 16 to 24 mm and its forewings are a ferruginous-orange colour with metallic grey-whitish streaks. Adults fly from June through August in western Europe, and the larvae feed on pine species such as Scots pine and black pine.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Forewings are orange-red with irregular metallic grey-white lines and costal streaks; hindwings are light grey.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The moth’s wingspan ranges from 16 to 24 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on pine, especially Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and black pine (Pinus nigra).
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The flight period for adults is June through August in western Europe.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range includes North Africa, North Asia and Europe.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 23 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Michigan, Washington, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Illinois, Idaho, Maryland.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: introduced in Canada; introduced in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What do the caterpillars eat?
The larvae feed on pine trees, especially Pinus sylvestris and Pinus nigra.
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/Rhyacionia_buoliana
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.