About Achatodes zeae Harris, 1841
Achatodes zeae, commonly called the elder shoot borer moth or spindle worm, is a moth species that belongs to the family Noctuidae. It has been documented by taxonomists since at least 1841, and it first became widely noted in 1927, when large numbers of this species were found boring into the shoots of common elder bush (Sambucus nigra) in Wisconsin, USA. For its life cycle, adult elder shoot borer moths lay eggs during July and August. Eggs take approximately 9 months to hatch after being laid. The newly hatched larvae, which are called spindle worms, first feed on the leaf they emerged on, then move into the bush's lateral shoots. As the larvae mature, they move toward ground-level shoots and feed upward through the shoots. By mid June, the larvae are fully developed. They then bore into dead canes to pupate.
