Bug FAQPonderosa Pine Coneworm Moth
Dioryctria auranticella · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Pyralidae
Also called: Ponderosa pine coneworm
The moth’s wingspan ranges from about 10.5 to 14 mm. Its larvae feed inside the cones of ponderosa pine and knobcone pine, and sometimes on the twigs. Adults are on the wing from mid-July to early August.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan is 10.5 to 14 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae eat the cones of Pinus ponderosa and Pinus attenuata. They may also feed on the twigs of their host pines.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults fly from mid-July through early August.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Native to western North America, covering the same region as its habitat.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 16 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Colorado, California, Montana, Washington, New Mexico, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When are adult Dioryctria auranticella active?
Adults are on the wing from mid-July to early August.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the larvae eat?
The larvae feed inside the cones of ponderosa pine and knobcone pine, and sometimes on the twigs.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Pyralidae)
Indian-Meal MothPlodia interpunctellaCan damage your home
Greater Wax MothGalleria mellonella
Mediterranean Flour MothEphestia kuehniellaCan damage your home
Meal mothPyralis farinalisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Bee MothAphomia sociellaNuisance, not dangerous
Yellow-fringed Dolichomia MothHypsopygia olinalisSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dioryctria_auranticella
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-26 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-26.