Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFTortricidae Members: Rhyacionia Members: 16 NC Records

Rhyacionia busckana Heinrich, 1923 - Red Pine Tip Moth

Rhyacionia busckana
view caption 		Rhyacionia busckanaRhyacionia busckana
view caption
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Tortricoidea		 Family:
Tortricidae		Subfamily:
Olethreutinae		Tribe:
Eucosmini		P3 Number:
51a0706		 MONA Number:
2879.00
Comments: The genus Rhyacionia is widespread in the Holarctic Region, ranging from Japan and Asia to the Caribbean Antilles and Mexico (Powell and Miller, 1978). There are 33 described species worldwide and 24 in North America. The larvae feed on the needles, buds, and growing tips of pines.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Miller (1985)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Except for their antennal morphology, Rhyacionia busckana is externally indistinguishable from a sibling species, R. granti. The following is based on the original description by Miller (1985) of R. granti. The description of R. busckana by Powell and Miller (1978) was actually based on both species, since R. granti had not been described at that time. The labial palps, crown of the head, and thorax are clothed with either reddish scales or brownish black scales with white tips. The length of the second segment of the labial palp is subequal to the eye diameter, and the length of the third segment is one-fourth that of the second. The front of the head is brownish black. The antennal pecten length is less than that of the antennal segment length. The basal two-thirds of the forewing has a series of narrow, alternating, pale gray and grayish brown cross-bands. The apical third of the forewing has red and yellow scales. The hindwing is uniformly light gray above and the abdomen is shiny gray. The leg scaling is similar to that of the thorax.

Rhyacionia granti and R. busckana are most easily distinguished by the male antennae (Miller, 1985). In R. granti the length of the pecten on the basal third of the antenna greatly exceeds the length of the antennal segments. In R. busckana, the length of the pecten is shorter than the length of the antennal segments (see image above and structural photos below). These species can also be distinguished by the male and female genitalia. Specimens of R. granti in North Carolina most commonly have reddish scales on the upper head and anterior regions of the thorax, while those of R. busckana tend to be more grayish. As of 2024, the two species also sort out geographically, with R. granti restricted to the Blue Ridge and R. busckana to the eastern Piedmont and Coastal Plain. R. busckana might also be confused with R. adana, but the latter has very short lateral projections on the antennae of males (the antennae appear smooth), the head tuft is reddish, and the grayish basal shade extends farther out into the wing on the costal half than on dorsal half of fore wing,
Forewing Length: 7.5 mm (n = 1; Miller, 1985)
Adult Structural Features: Miller (1985) has descriptions and illustrations of the male and female genitalia, as well as ways to distinguish R. busckana from its cryptic sibling species, R. granti. In R. granti males, the uncus is usually narrower and the aedeagal asymmetry less pronounced. In R. granti females, caudal widening of the sterigma is usually slight, while in R. busckana it is pronounced. The sterigma width in the former is less than three-fold the ostium bursae width, while in the latter it is three-fold or more.
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from photos showing hindwings, abdomen, or other specialized views [e.g., frons, palps, antennae, undersides].
Immatures and Development: The larvae feed on the young leaves and shoot of pines, but detailed studies of the life history have not been conducted.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Rhyacionia busckana is found primarily in eastern North America, with scattered records in the West from British Columbia, Oregon, and Colorado (Powell and Miller, 1978). The range in the East is rather poorly defined because records for R. granti were confused with those of R. busckana prior to 1985. Populations occur in extreme southern Canada (Manitoba; Ontario; Quebec), and from Maine southward to at least South Carolina. The range extends westward to Tennessee, Kentucky, and Illinois, with an isolate occurring in southeastern Texas. As of 2023, all of our records are from near the coast except for one eastern Piedmont record.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Rhyacionia busckanaAlamance Alexander Alleghany Anson Ashe Avery Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick Buncombe Burke Cabarrus Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee Chowan Clay Cleveland Columbus Craven Cumberland Currituck Dare Davidson Davie Duplin Durham Edgecombe Forsyth Franklin Gaston Gates Graham Granville Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood Henderson Hertford Hoke Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnston Jones Lee Lenoir Lincoln Macon Madison Martin McDowell Mecklenburg Mitchell Montgomery Moore Nash New%20Hanover Northampton Onslow Orange Pamlico Pasquotank Pender Perquimans Person Pitt Polk Randolph Richmond Robeson Rockingham Rowan Rutherford Sampson Scotland Stanly Stokes Surry Swain Transylvania Tyrrell Union Vance Wake Warren Washington Watauga Wayne Wilkes Wilson Yadkin Yancey
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge 		Image showing flight dates by month for High Mountains greater than 4,000 feet, Low Mountains, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain: adults.