Spruce Budworm Moth
Choristoneura fumiferana
During peak outbreak years, massive swarms of these moths are dense enough to be detected on meteorological weather radar.
- Scientific name
- Choristoneura fumiferana
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Lepidoptera › Tortricidae › Choristoneura
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Coniferous and mixed wood forests, especially those dominated by balsam fir and white spruce.
- Diet
- Larvae feed destructively on the needles and buds of fir and spruce trees; adult moths do not feed at all, living off stored fat reserves.
- Range
- Canada, Northern United States
- Size
- Wingspan of 20 to 30 mm
- Lifespan
- 1 year (with the adult moth stage lasting only 1 to 2 weeks)
- Active
- nocturnal
- Threats
- Predation by insectivorous birds, parasitic wasps, and fungal pathogens, alongside forestry management and pesticide applications.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless to humans. This moth does not bite, sting, or possess venom or irritating hairs. It is safe to observe at any distance or handle gently. No medical action is required upon contact.
Choristoneura fumiferana , the eastern spruce budworm , is a species of moth of the Tortricidae family. It is also commonly referred to as the spruce budworm. It is one of the most destructive native insects in the northern spruce and fir forests of the eastern United States and Canada. Its range is also the widest of all the budworm species. Eastern spruce budworm populations can experience significant oscillations. During outbreaks, populations grow to extremely high densities, compared...
Photo: Lucas Benaiche, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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