Bug FAQSpruce Needleworm Moth
Hypsopygia thymetusalis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Pyralidae
Source: Wikipedia
The spruce needleworm moth has a wingspan of about 22 mm. Its larvae feed on spruce (Picea) species and roll the needles of their host plant.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Hypsopygia thymetusalis is the scientific name of the spruce needleworm moth, also called the paler dolichomia moth.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The adult’s wingspan measures roughly 22 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on spruce (Picea) species and roll the leaves of their host plant.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range includes the northeastern United States and neighboring Canadian provinces, extending to British Columbia.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 15 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Minnesota, Michigan, Vermont, Colorado, North Carolina, Maine, Montana, Massachusetts.
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
Questions people ask
What do the larvae eat?
The larvae feed on spruce (Picea) species and roll the needles of the tree.
Source: Wikipedia
What is the scientific name of the spruce needleworm moth?
Its scientific name is Hypsopygia thymetusalis.
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/Hypsopygia_thymetusalis
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.