Bug FAQRagweed Borer
Epiblema strenuana · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Tortricidae
Also called: Ragweed Borer Moth
The adult moth's wingspan is about 15 mm. It is native to North America and was introduced to Australia in 1982 for weed control. Larvae feed on aster family weeds such as Ambrosia and Xanthium, and have also been recorded on Chenopodium.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The adult moth's wingspan is about 15 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It originated in North America and was brought to Australia in 1982 to control certain weed species.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The caterpillars feed mainly on plants in the aster family, such as Ambrosia and Xanthium, and have also been found on Chenopodium.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is native to North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Its name is sometimes misspelled as Epiblema strenuanum.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 39 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, South Carolina, Mississippi, Kansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Florida, California.
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
What plants do the larvae eat?
The larvae feed on aster family weeds like Ambrosia and Xanthium and have also been recorded on Chenopodium.
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
Filbertworm MothCydia latiferreanaDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiblema_strenuana
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.