Bug FAQGreen Budworm Moth
Hedya nubiferana · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Tortricidae
Also called: Green Budworm, Marbled Orchard Tortrix
The green budworm moth has a wingspan of about 15 to 21 mm and a grey-brown forewing with a basal black spot, a light-grey cross-band, and a wide snow-white band near the tip. It flies from May through August and its larvae feed on hawthorn and blackthorn.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The forewing ground colour is grey-brown with a square black spot near the base, a light-grey cross-band just beyond it, and a wide snow-white band at the wing tip. The hindwings are thinly scaled, light grey-brown with brown veins.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan ranges from 15 to 21 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It occurs in the Palearctic and Nearctic realms.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The caterpillars feed on hawthorn (Crataegus) and blackthorn (Prunus spinosa).
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from May to August.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
You can see this moth during the months of May, June, July and August.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range includes the Palearctic and Nearctic regions.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It is also known as the marbled orchard tortrix, a member of the Tortricidae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 14 of 51 states and DC. Most records: New York, Pennsylvania, Washington, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio, Connecticut, Maryland.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: introduced in United States; introduced in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When can I see the green budworm moth?
Adults fly from May through August, so look for them in late spring and summer.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the caterpillars eat?
The larvae feed on the leaves of hawthorn and blackthorn.
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/Hedya_nubiferana
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-27 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-27.