Pine Shoot Moth
Rhyacionia buoliana
This record describes Rhyacionia buoliana (species). Recorded family: Tortricidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Wingspan 16-24 mm. Attractive moth which is a light brick-red streaked with paler colours. Pine woodland, coniferous woodland, plantations and nurseries. The adults fly between June and August, when they can be attracted to light, though they are sluggish if disturbed in the daytime. This species can be a pest in Pine plantations due to the larval habit of burrowing into the needles and feeding inside developing buds. Widely but locally distributed in England and Wales. In the Butterfly Conservation’s Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as local.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Tortricoidea
- Family
- Tortricidae (Tortricid Moths)
- Subfamily
- Olethreutinae
- Tribe
- Eucosmini
- Genus
- Rhyacionia (Pine Tip Moths)
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
Pine woodland, coniferous woodland, plantations and nurseries.
Seasonal Activity
The adults fly between June and August, when they can be attracted to light, though they are sluggish if disturbed in the daytime.
Diet and Behavior
Life History
This species can be a pest in Pine plantations due to the larval habit of burrowing into the needles and feeding inside developing buds.
Additional species information
Recorded status
Widely but locally distributed in England and Wales. In the Butterfly Conservation’s Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as local.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Rhyacionia buoliana. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Lepidoptera includes approximately 180,000 described species of butterflies and moths. Moths outnumber butterflies roughly 10:1. The monarch butterfly's eastern population has declined by more than 80% since the mid-1990s, and the western population by over 95% since the 1980s. The IUCN lists the migratory monarch as Vulnerable.
Ecological role of the group
Butterflies and moths are essential indicators of ecosystem health. As caterpillars, they are a primary food source for birds - a single nest of blue tit chicks requires ~10,000 caterpillars. Adult moths pollinate many night-blooming plants.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Lepidoptera are critical pollinators. In Europe, grassland butterfly species have declined by almost 50% since the early 1990s. In the UK, three-quarters of butterflies are in decline. In the U.S., five butterfly species have gone extinct since 1950, with 29 listed as endangered.
Recorded sources for this group: IUCN Red List, Xerces Society, USFWS, PNAS, WWF. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Pine Shoot Moth (4)
Frequently Asked Questions About Pine Shoot Moth
What is Pine Shoot Moth?
Pine Shoot Moth (Rhyacionia buoliana) is a species in the family Tortricidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
Where is Pine Shoot Moth found?
Habitat: Pine woodland, coniferous woodland, plantations and nurseries.
When is Pine Shoot Moth active?
Pine Shoot Moth: seasonal activity - The adults fly between June and August, when they can be attracted to light, though they are sluggish if disturbed in the daytime..
What is the life cycle of a Pine Shoot Moth?
This species can be a pest in Pine plantations due to the larval habit of burrowing into the needles and feeding inside developing buds.