Order Butterflies and moths | Rank Species | |
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Similar Butterflies and moths, Metzneria lappella, Syncopacma cinctella, Bryotropha, Eulamprotes wilkella | ||
Exoteleia dodecella, the pine bud moth, is a moth of the Gelechiidae family. It is widely distributed from western Europe to Siberia. It is an introduced species in North America.
The wingspan is 9–15 mm. Adults are on wing from June to July.
The larvae feed on Larix europaeus, Pinus mugo and Pinus sylvestris. Young larvae mine the needles of their host plant. The larva enters the needle of its length, at the flat side; the opening is closed with silk. The larvae mine upwards from about three quarters of the needle. They live in a larval chamber in the lowest part of the mine. The frass is deposited in the apical part of the mine. After overwintering, they live in spun needles and feed on the shoots. Pupation takes place outside of the mine within a bud. Mining larvae can be found from September to March.