Bug FAQJuniper Budworm Moth
Choristoneura houstonana · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Tortricidae
The Juniper Budworm Moth has a wingspan of about 20 mm. It lives in many U.S. states across the Southwest, Midwest, South and Northeast. Adults fly from April through November and can produce up to two generations each year.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The moth’s wingspan is roughly 20 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The caterpillars eat the foliage of the Ashe juniper (Juniperus ashei).
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from April to November and may have up to two generations per year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Moths can be seen flying between April and November.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is native to North America, where it occurs in the listed U.S. states.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 22 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Arizona, Oklahoma, Mississippi, New York, Colorado, New Jersey, North Carolina.
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
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/Cudonigera_houstonana
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.