Bug FAQPine Tube Moth
Argyrotaenia pinatubana · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Tortricidae
The pine tube moth has a wingspan of about 12 to 17 mm. It lives in eastern North America, from Canada down to Florida and west to Wisconsin. The larvae are pale green, grow to about 12 mm long, and feed mainly on eastern white pine.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The larvae are pale green and can reach roughly 12 mm in length.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults have a wingspan ranging from 12 to 17 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae mainly feed on Pinus strobus, the eastern white pine.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
There are two generations each year.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range is eastern North America, spanning Canada to Florida and west to Wisconsin.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 27 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Massachusetts, New York, Vermont, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, 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; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
How many generations does the pine tube moth have each year?
It produces two generations per year.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is the pine tube moth found?
It occurs in eastern North America, from Canada down to Florida and west to Wisconsin.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the caterpillars eat?
The larvae feed mainly on eastern white pine (Pinus strobus).
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/Argyrotaenia_pinatubana
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.