Indigenous-food-source
Guides
Coloradia pandora
Pandora Pinemoth, Pandora Moth
Coloradia pandora is a large saturniid moth native to western North America. The larvae are specialized feeders on pine foliage, with documented hosts including lodgepole pine, Jeffrey pine, and ponderosa pine. Outbreak populations occasionally cause severe defoliation in coniferous forests of northern Arizona, central Oregon, and southern California. The species has historical significance for indigenous peoples; the Paiute traditionally harvested larvae as a food source. Adults are nocturnal and do not feed.