About Rhyacionia frustrana (Scudder, 1880)
Rhyacionia frustrana, commonly known as the Nantucket pine tip moth, is a moth species belonging to the family Tortricidae. This species was first described by Scudder in 1880. In the United States, its distribution ranges from Massachusetts in the north to Florida in the south, and westward to Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, and California. It can also be found in the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Jamaica, Oaxaca in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The wingspan of adult Nantucket pine tip moths is approximately 11 mm. Adults emerge in early spring; in Florida, emergence can occur as early as February. In Florida, this species produces four to five generations per year. The larvae of Rhyacionia frustrana feed on a wide range of pine species, specifically Pinus caribaea, Pinus cubensis, Pinus banksiana, Pinus taeda, Pinus contorta, Pinus radiata, Pinus oocarpa, Pinus rigida, Pinus serotina, Pinus ponderosa, Pinus resinosa, Pinus clausa, Pinus sylvestris, Pinus echinata, Pinus elliottii, Pinus glabra, Pinus pungens, and Pinus virginiana.
