Bug FAQSequoia Pitch Moth
Synanthedon sequoiae · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Sesiidae
The sequoia pitch moth has a wingspan of about 20 to 27 mm. Adults are active from May through early September. It lives along the west coast of North America, from California up to British Columbia.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Synanthedon sequoiae belongs to the clearwing moth family Sesiidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan ranges between 20 and 27 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from May until early September.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range extends from California up through British Columbia.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 8 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Oregon, California, Idaho, Colorado, Washington, Utah, Montana, Nevada.
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
Questions people ask
When can I see adult sequoia pitch moths?
Adults are active from May through early September.
Source: Wikipedia
Where does the sequoia pitch moth live?
It occurs from California north to British Columbia.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Sesiidae)
Purplish CopperLycaena helloides
Squash Vine BorerEichlinia cucurbitaeDamages trees, gardens or crops
Bronze CopperLycaena hyllus
Maple Callus Borer MothSynanthedon acerniDamages trees, gardens or crops
Southern Red RimBiblis hyperia
Peachtree Borer MothSynanthedon exitiosaDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synanthedon_sequoiae
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-29 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-29.