Nantucket Pine Tip Moth - Hodges#2882
Rhyacionia frustrana
This record describes Rhyacionia frustrana (species). Recorded family: Tortricidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
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
Geographic Range
Massachusetts south to Florida, west to Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas. Discovered in San Diego and Kern County where it may have been introduced from the east. Also in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Cuba and Nicaragua.
Seasonal Activity
Two to six generations a year.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Larvae mine in the terminal shoots of at least 15 species of pine.
Life History
See Scudder (1883) in Print References. Overwinter as a pupa within the injured tips of the host. ( 3 ) Eggs laying happens during dusk and darkness. They are deposited on new or old growth needles, in the axils, on developing tips, or on buds. Larvae construct delicate webs in axils formed by developing needles and stems, then they bore into and feed on the needle, severing it. Second-instar larvae construct webs between buds then eat them. When the buds are consumed, they move to another bud. Once the bud is consumed, they bore down the center of the stem. The larval period lasts 2-4 weeks then it constructs as webbed cell within the shoot to pupate. ( 3 ) 5-6 generations per year in the south; in NC and VA area there are 3 generations; and farther north there are only 2 generations. ( 3 )
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Specific epithet meaning "frustrating" for the considerable damage the larvae had done to pines planted on Nantucket after fire damage during the War of 1812.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Rhyacionia frustrana. 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 Nantucket Pine Tip Moth - Hodges#2882 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Bob Patterson; Additional contributions by Maury Heiman , Randy Hardy , Marci Hess
Frequently Asked Questions About Nantucket Pine Tip Moth - Hodges#2882
How big is Nantucket Pine Tip Moth - Hodges#2882?
Forewing 4-7.5 mm.
Where is Nantucket Pine Tip Moth - Hodges#2882 found?
Range: Massachusetts south to Florida, west to Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas. Discovered in San Diego and Kern County where it may have been introduced from the east. Also in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Cuba and Nicaragua.
What does Nantucket Pine Tip Moth - Hodges#2882 eat?
The diet of the Nantucket Pine Tip Moth - Hodges#2882 includes Larvae mine in the terminal shoots of at least 15 species of pine..
When is Nantucket Pine Tip Moth - Hodges#2882 active?
Nantucket Pine Tip Moth - Hodges#2882: seasonal activity - Two to six generations a year..
What is the life cycle of a Nantucket Pine Tip Moth - Hodges#2882?
See Scudder (1883) in Print References. Overwinter as a pupa within the injured tips of the host. ( 3 ) Eggs laying happens during dusk and darkness. They are deposited on new or old growth needles, in the axils, on developing tips, or on buds. Larvae construct delicate webs in axils formed by developing needles and stems, then they bore into and feed on the needle, severing it. Second-instar larvae construct webs between buds then eat them. When the buds are consumed, they move to another bud. Once the bud is consumed, they bore down the center of the stem. The larval period lasts 2-4 weeks then it constructs as webbed cell within the shoot to pupate. ( 3 ) 5-6 generations per year in the south; in NC and VA area there are 3 generations; and farther north there are only 2 generations. ( 3 )