Vaccinium
Guides
Acleris maculidorsana
stained-back leafroller moth
Acleris maculidorsana, commonly known as the stained-back leafroller moth, is a small tortricid moth native to eastern North America. Adults are active nearly year-round in southern portions of its range. The species is associated with several woody and herbaceous host plants, including members of Ericaceae, Hypericaceae, and Ericaceae. Larvae are leafrollers that feed on foliage of their host plants.
Anthonomus musculus
cranberry weevil
Anthonomus musculus, commonly known as the cranberry weevil, is a small weevil native to North America that is a significant agricultural pest of blueberries and cranberries. Adults are tiny reddish-brown beetles with the characteristic curved snout of weevils. The species has one generation per year, with females depositing eggs in flower buds where larvae develop internally, preventing fruit formation. It ranges from New England to Florida and west of the Rocky Mountains, with notable pest pressure in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Wisconsin, and Michigan.
Caloptilia anthobaphes
A leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae, found in eastern North America. The larvae feed on Vaccinium species, creating mines in leaves. Adults are attracted to ultraviolet light sources. The species was described by Edward Meyrick in 1921.
Caloptilia vacciniella
Caloptilia vacciniella is a small leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae. The species is known from eastern North America, with records from Quebec, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Maine, Michigan, and Massachusetts. Larvae are specialized feeders on Vaccinium species, including lowbush blueberry, highbush blueberry, and hillside blueberry.
Cerastis fishii
Fish's Dart
Cerastis fishii is a noctuid moth of eastern North America, commonly known as Fish's Dart. Adults are active in spring, with a flight period from March through June. The species has a wingspan of 30–36 mm. Larvae feed specifically on blueberry flowers and leaves.
Colias palaeno
Moorland Clouded Yellow, Palaeno Sulphur, Pale Arctic Clouded Yellow
Colias palaeno is a Holarctic butterfly species in the family Pieridae, occurring across northern Eurasia and North America. It inhabits moorlands, bogs, and open coniferous forests, with southern populations restricted to high alpine zones above 1,500 meters. The species has experienced significant declines in parts of its European range, particularly in Bavaria, where larval survival depends critically on microclimatic conditions associated with Sphagnum moss. It is univoltine, with adults flying from June to August.
Coptodisca matheri
A minute moth in the family Heliozelidae, described from Mississippi in 1974. Adults have strikingly bicolored forewings with silvery white bases and pale yellow tips. The larvae are leaf miners on sparkleberry (Vaccinium arboreum), creating distinctive serpentine mines that widen into blotches.
Hendecaneura shawiana
Blueberry Tip Borer Moth
Hendecaneura shawiana is a tortricid moth commonly known as the blueberry tip borer. It is a univoltine species with one generation per year. The larvae are specialized feeders that bore into the shoot tips of blueberry plants, causing characteristic dieback damage. It is recognized as a pest of cultivated blueberry in northeastern North America.
Lycaena mariposa
Mariposa copper
Lycaena mariposa, the mariposa copper, is a small butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It occurs in western North America, where adults are active in mid-summer. The species has a wingspan of 23–28 mm and exhibits the copper-orange coloration typical of its genus. Larvae feed on specific host plants including Vaccinium arbuscula and Polygonum douglasii. Two subspecies are recognized: L. m. penroseae and L. m. charlottensis.
Papestra biren
Glaucous Shears, Glaucous Shears Moth
Papestra biren, commonly known as the glaucous shears, is a noctuid moth with a wingspan of 30–38 mm. The species was first described by Goeze in 1781 and exhibits notable color variation across its range, including purplish-grey, ashy-grey, and dark ruddy-grey forms. Adults are active from May to July in a single annual generation. The species has a broad Palearctic distribution and was introduced to North America in 1935, where it has since expanded southward from Newfoundland.
Rhopobota naevana
holly tortrix moth, holly leaf tier, blackheaded fireworm
Rhopobota naevana is a small tortricid moth with a broad Palearctic distribution extending to North America. Adults fly in mid-summer and are characterized by grey forewings with complex dark markings and a metallic-edged ocellus. The species is economically significant as a pest of Vaccinium crops, particularly cranberries and blueberries, where larvae feed on foliage and fruit.
Scolioneura vaccinii
Scolioneura vaccinii is a species of sawfly in the family Tenthredinidae, described in 2015 from British Columbia, Canada. The species is associated with Vaccinium (blueberry/cranberry) plants, as indicated by its specific epithet. It belongs to a small genus of blennocampine sawflies whose larvae are leaf miners.
Scopula frigidaria
Frigid Wave
Scopula frigidaria is a small geometrid moth distributed across boreal regions of northern Eurasia and North America. Adults have a wingspan of 21–23 mm and are active from late May through June. The species exhibits a univoltine life cycle with larvae feeding exclusively on bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus). Larvae overwinter in the larval stage, with development spanning from July through May of the following year. Two subspecies are recognized: the nominate form and S. f. schoyeni restricted to the Kola Peninsula and Fennoscandia.
Sparganothis violaceana
Sparganothis violaceana is a small tortricid moth native to eastern and central North America. Adults are active in late spring, with a wingspan of 16–21 mm. The species is associated with Vaccinium host plants, placing it among the complex of insects that interact with blueberry and cranberry ecosystems. The genus Sparganothis includes several economically significant fruitworm species, though the specific agricultural impact of S. violaceana remains poorly documented compared to congeners like S. fruitworma.
Syngrapha octoscripta
Figure-eight Looper Moth, Dusky Silver Y
Syngrapha octoscripta is a noctuid moth native to North America, commonly known as the figure-eight looper moth or dusky silver Y. Adults are medium-sized with a wingspan of 34–36 mm and display the characteristic silver Y-shaped marking typical of the genus. The species has a single annual generation, with adults active during mid-summer. Larvae are specialized feeders on Vaccinium species.
Syngrapha u-aureum
golden looper moth
Syngrapha u-aureum, known as the golden looper moth, is a noctuid moth distributed across boreal and subarctic regions of eastern North America. The species has one generation annually. Larvae feed on Vaccinium species, including blueberries and related shrubs. Two subspecies are recognized, differing in geographic distribution and host associations.
Tricholochmaea vaccinii
blueberry leaf beetle
Tricholochmaea vaccinii, commonly known as the blueberry leaf beetle, is a species of skeletonizing leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It feeds on blueberry plants (Vaccinium species), causing characteristic skeletonized damage to leaves. The species is native to North America and has been documented in eastern Canadian provinces including New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Ontario.
Xestia tecta
Xestia tecta is a noctuid moth with a disjunct Holarctic distribution, occurring in boreal Fennoscandia and northwestern Russia in Europe, and across northern Siberia, Alaska, and north-central North America. The species has a two-year life cycle, with adults active from July to August. Males are nocturnal while females are active in the afternoon.