Rhyacionia buoliana explained

Rhyacionia buoliana, the pine shoot moth, is a moth of the family Tortricidae. It is native to North Africa, North Asia, and Europe, and invasive in North America and South America.

The wingspan is 16–24 mm. The forewings are ferruginous-orange, often partly suffused with dark red and with several irregular variable anastomosing metallic grey-whitish striae and costal strigulae. The hindwings are light grey. The larva is brown-reddish; head and plate of 2 black.[1]

Adults are on wing from June to August in western Europe.

The larvae feed on pine. The original host plants are Pinus sylvestris and Pinus nigra. The host-plant spectrum has been expanded to more members of the genus Pinus after the introduction of North American pine species into Europe and after transport of Rhyacionia buoliana to North and South America. This species is also recorded from Abies alba.

Subspecies

Parasites

The larvae are attacked by the tachinid fly Actia nudibasis.[2]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Meyrick, E., 1895 A Handbook of British Lepidoptera MacMillan, London
  2. Tachinid Flies Diptera Tachinidae. Belshaw. Robert. 1993. . Royal Entomological Society Handbooks. 10 . 4ai . 170.