Bug FAQSunflower Bud Moth
Suleima helianthana · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Tortricidae
Source: Wikipedia
The adult has a wingspan of about 17 mm. It lives across central North America, from Mexico up through Canada. There are two generations each year.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
It is a variable species.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan is roughly 17 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae feed on Helianthus (sunflower) species.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
It produces two generations per year.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range covers central North America, from Mexico up to Canada.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 23 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Oklahoma, California, Mississippi, Kansas, Louisiana, Arizona, Colorado.
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
Where is this moth found?
It occurs across central North America, from Mexico to Canada.
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/Suleima_helianthana
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-25 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-25.