Spruce bud moth

Zeiraphera canadensis Mutuura and Freeman (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

Orientation to pest

Spruce bud moth, Zeiraphera canadensis Mutuura and Freeman, is a native tortricid moth associated predominantly with spruce (Picea) in eastern North America. It overwinters as eggs, which hatch in the spring. There are four larval instars. First and second instar larvae mine needles of recently burst buds. Third and fourth instars feed on the stems of shoots. Pupation usually takes place in the soil. There is one generation per year. Larval feeding on shoots of the upper crown and on the leader can stunt tree growth, causing economically important damage in spruce plantations. Injury is most common on open grown spruces (before crown closure) and this species is not a pest in natural forest stands.

Hosts commonly attacked

This moth feeds mainly on white spruce (Picea glauca [Moench]), but sometimes attacks black spruce (Picea mariana [Mill.] Britton, Sterns and Poggenburg) or balsam fir (Abies balsamea [L.] Mill.).

Distribution

This moth occurs throughout the range of spruce in the northern United States and eastern Canada.

Images of spruce bud moth

Bo Zaremba - bozaremba@comcast.net Any further use of this image requires permission from Bo Zaremba each time. 768x512	Thérèse Arcand - Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service 768x512	Dion Manastyrski - Pacific Forestry Centre, Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service 768x512
Figure 1. Adult of spruce bud moth, Zeiraphera canadensis Mutuura and Freeman	Figure 2. Parasitized egg of spruce bud moth (black) at base of shoot	Figure 3. Mature larva of spruce bud moth
Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Archive, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, Bugwood.org 768x512 / 1536x1024 Dion Manastyrski - Pacific Forestry Centre, Natural Resources Canada, Forest Service 768x512		Jean-François Mouton - Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service 768x512
Figure 4. Buds damaged by spruce bud moth		Figure 5. Buds damaged by spruce bud moth; see cap of bud held by silk threads

Important biological control agents related to this pest species

In Newfoundland, Canada, the ichneumonid Tycherus osculator parasitizes up to 50% of the larvae of spruce bud moth.

Web links for information on spruce bud moth

• Fact Sheet | Natural Resources Canada
• Forest Pest Leaflet | USDA Forest Service

Articles

• Turgeon, J. J. 1985. Life cycle and behaviour of the spruce bud moth, Zeiraphera canadensis (Lepidoptera: Olethreutidae) in New Brunswick. The Canadian Entomologist 117: 1239-1247.
• Turgeon, J. J. and J. Régnière. 1987. Development of sampling schemes for the spruce bud moth, Zeiraphera canadensis (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). The Canadian Entomologist 119: 239-249.
• Turgeon J. J., N. Nelson, and E. G. Kettela. 1987. Reproductive biology of the spruce bud moth, Zeiraphera canadensis (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Olethreutinae), in New Brunswick. The Canadian Entomologist 119: 361 364.
• Carroll, A. L. and D. T. Quiring. 1993. Influence of feeding by Zeiraphera canadensis (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) on growth of white spruce: larval density - damage and damage - shoot production relationships. Journal of Applied Ecology 30 : 629-639.
• West, R. J., M. Kenis, G. W. Butt, and S. M. Bennett. 1999. Parasitoid complex of Zeiraphera canadensis (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) and evaluation of Tycherus osculator (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) as a biological control agent. Canadian Entomologist 131: 465-474.
• West, R. J., M. Kenis, R. S. Bourchier, S. M. Smith, and G. W. Butt, G. W. 2001. Zeiraphera canadensis Mutuura and Freeman, spruce bud moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), pp. 279-283. In: Mason, P. G. and J. T. Huber (eds.). Biological Control Programmes in Canada, 1981-2000 CABI Publishing, Wallingford, UK.