Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Tortricidae Scientific name Zeiraphera ratzeburgiana | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Genus Zeiraphera Rank Species | |
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Similar Zeiraphera, Zeiraphera isertana, Epinotia cruciana, Eriopsela quadrana, Spilonota laricana |
Zeiraphera ratzeburgiana, the spruce bud moth or Ratzeburg tortricid, is a moth of the Tortricidae family. It is found from northern and central Europe to eastern Russia and China (Gansu, Qinghai).
The wingspan is 12–15 mm. Adults are on wing in July and August.
The larvae mainly feed on Picea abies, but has also been recorded on Picea sitchensis, Picea smithiana, Pinus sylvestris, Pinus pinea and Abies cephalonica. The larvae penetrate into the buds of the host plant and feed on the needles and eventually on the growing point. Malformation of the bud causes the young shoot to bend which severely damages the growing point. Larvae can also attack the female blossom and damage the young cone.
References
Zeiraphera ratzeburgiana Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA