Rhyacionia duplana

Wingspan 14–18 mm. Distinguished from related Rhyacionia species by genitalia examination; external morphology alone is often insufficient for reliable identification. Adults fly in early spring, which helps separate them from some later-flying congeners.

Associated with pine forests and plantations, particularly where young Pinus trees are present.

Northern and central Europe to eastern Russia; East Asia including China (Beijing, Hebei, Shanxi, Liaoning, Jiangsu, Shandong, Henan, Shaanxi) and Japan. Records from Korea exist but remain unconfirmed in recent surveys. Present in Belgium (Antwerpen, Limburg, Vlaams Brabant provinces), Denmark, and Norway.

Adult flight period begins in March in warmer areas, typically in April elsewhere.

Larvae feed on Pinus sylvestris, Pinus contorta var. latifolia, Pinus thunbergii, and Picea sitchensis.

• Pinus sylvestris - larval host
• Pinus contorta var. latifolia - larval host
• Pinus thunbergii - larval host
• Picea sitchensis - larval host

Larval feeding causes shoot damage in young conifers, with economic impact in managed forests.

Recognized as a forestry pest, particularly damaging to 5–12-year-old pine trees in plantations.

• Rhyacionia logaeaFormerly treated as a subspecies (now synonymized or treated separately depending on source); the name 'Elgin shoot moth' was historically applied to this form
• Other Rhyacionia speciesExternal morphology similar; genitalia dissection required for definitive identification

• pest
• forestry
• conifer-feeder
• early spring flight

• BugGuide
• Wikipedia
• GBIF taxonomy match
• iNaturalist taxon
• NCBI Taxonomy
• Catalogue of Life