Exotic, but established
Hedya nubiferana (Haworth) (Tortricidae: Olethreutinae: Olethreutini)
Common names: green budworm, marbled orchard tortrix, spotted apple budworm
Synonyms: dimidioalba (Phalaena), flavella (Argyroploce variegana form), variegana (Tortrix)
FWL: 8.5-10.0 mm
Head, thorax gray-brown with intermixed black and chalky blue-gray scales; thoracic tuft present, but not always conspicuous; ground color of forewing dark brown overlaid with chalky blue-gray fasciaefasciae:
plural of "fascia"
and scattered black patches of scales; distaldistal:
farthest from body, distant from point of attachment
third of forewing white to cream with elongate black dot at end of discal cell; male without forewing costal foldforewing costal fold:
a flap or fold at the base of the forewing that contains specialized sex scales
; forewing pale brown to dark brown.
Male genitalia are characterized by a narrow uncusuncus:
a sclerotized process which is fused to the posterodorsal margin of tergum IX
expanded slightly at apexapex:
the point furthest removed from the base or at the end of the costal area 
; socii small; valvae elongate, narrow, curved, with small patch of short, dense scales near base of sacculussacculus:
the ventral margin of the male valva 
. Female genitalia are characterized by a plate-like signasigna:
plural of "signum"
with deep medialmedial:
to the middle, center, toward center line 
notch, and two minute, thorn-like signasigna:
plural of "signum".
The following account is summarized from Swatschek (1958)Swatschek (1958):
Swatschek, B. 1958. Die larval systematik der wickler (Tortricidae und Carposinidae) aus dem zoologischen Institut der Universitat Erlangen. Akademie-Verlag, Berlin. 269 pp. [Abhandlungen zur larvalsystematik Insekten 3.] and Chapman & Lienk (1971).
Head, prothoracic shieldprothoracic shield:
a sclerotized plate on the dorsal surface of the prothorax 
black; body grayish green; pinaculapinacula:
flattened sclerotized plates on a caterpillar that bear the setae
small, black; legs, anal plate dark brown to black; SV group on A1, 2, 7, 8, 9 typically 2:3:2:2:2, rarely 2:2:2:2:2.
A detailed description of larval chaetotaxychaetotaxy:
the arrangement of setae (in reference to Lepidoptera larvae), often depicted on a "setal map"
is available in Swatschek (1958)Swatschek (1958):
Swatschek, B. 1958. Die larval systematik der wickler (Tortricidae und Carposinidae) aus dem zoologischen Institut der Universitat Erlangen. Akademie-Verlag, Berlin. 269 pp. [Abhandlungen zur larvalsystematik Insekten 3.].
Pupa reddish brown or black.
Hedya nubiferana is very similar to H. separatana and H. ochroleucana. Hedya separatana, a native North American species, has a much smaller forewing length (5.5-7.5 mm) and more pinkish scaling in the distaldistal:
farthest from body, distant from point of attachment region of the forewing. The North American taxon referred to as H. ochroleucana may represent a cryptic species complex closely related to the European H. ochroleucana (Gilligan et al. 2020bGilligan et al. 2020b:
Gilligan T. M., Brown, J. W., Baixeras, J. 2020b. Immigrant Tortricidae: Holarctic versus Introduced Species in North America. Insects. 11(9): 1-59.). Regardless, H. nubiferana tends to have a white distaldistal:
farthest from body, distant from point of attachment area of the forewing with a straight proximalproximal:
toward the base, nearest the body or point of attachment
margin, whereas members of the H. ochroleucana complex have a yellower distaldistal:
farthest from body, distant from point of attachment area with a more convex proximalproximal:
toward the base, nearest the body or point of attachment margin. The genitalia of both sexes of all three species is quite distinct. Some species of Apotomis can look superficially similar to H. nubiferana, but the genitalia are distinct.
The following account is summarized from Chapman & Lienk (1971).
In New York, there is a single generation per year, with adults active from late May throughout June. Eggs are laid singly or in small clusters on leaves of a host plant, with young instars feeding on leaves and occasionally fruits. Females lay between 125 and 580 eggs total. Overwintering occurs as a third instar larva in dry bud scales, under dried leaves still attached to the tree, and in crevices of bark. Feeding resumes the following spring with larvae attacking newly emerged flower buds and leaves. Pupation occurs in rolled or tied leaves and adult eclose approximately three weeks later.
Most larval records are from Rosaceae, including apple (Malus spp.) and hawthorn (Crataegus spp.), but other families are reported from Europe, some of which may require verification.
| Host plant | Host plant family | Reference(s) | |||
| Alnus glutinosa | Betulaceae | Bradley et al. 1979Bradley et al. 1979: Bradley, J. D., Tremewan, W. G., Smith, A. 1979. British Tortricoid Moths, Tortricidae: Olethreutinae. The Ray Society, London. 336 pp.; Jaros & Spitzer 2002 |
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| Betula sp. | Betulaceae | Heinrich 1926Heinrich 1926: Heinrich, C. 1926. Revision of the North American moths of the subfamilies Laspeyresiinae and Olethreutinae. Bulletin of the United States National Museum. 132: 1-216.; Bradley et al. 1979Bradley et al. 1979: Bradley, J. D., Tremewan, W. G., Smith, A. 1979. British Tortricoid Moths, Tortricidae: Olethreutinae. The Ray Society, London. 336 pp. |
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| Quercus sp. | Fagaceae | Heinrich 1926Heinrich 1926: Heinrich, C. 1926. Revision of the North American moths of the subfamilies Laspeyresiinae and Olethreutinae. Bulletin of the United States National Museum. 132: 1-216.; Bradley et al. 1979Bradley et al. 1979: Bradley, J. D., Tremewan, W. G., Smith, A. 1979. British Tortricoid Moths, Tortricidae: Olethreutinae. The Ray Society, London. 336 pp. |
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| Myrica gale | Myricaceae | Bradley et al. 1979Bradley et al. 1979: Bradley, J. D., Tremewan, W. G., Smith, A. 1979. British Tortricoid Moths, Tortricidae: Olethreutinae. The Ray Society, London. 336 pp. |
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| Myrica sp. | Myricaceae | Heinrich 1926Heinrich 1926: Heinrich, C. 1926. Revision of the North American moths of the subfamilies Laspeyresiinae and Olethreutinae. Bulletin of the United States National Museum. 132: 1-216. |
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| Fraxinus excelsior | Oleaceae | Bradley et al. 1979Bradley et al. 1979: Bradley, J. D., Tremewan, W. G., Smith, A. 1979. British Tortricoid Moths, Tortricidae: Olethreutinae. The Ray Society, London. 336 pp. |
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| Crataegus sp. | Rosaceae | Chapman & Lienk 1971; Bradley et al. 1979Bradley et al. 1979: Bradley, J. D., Tremewan, W. G., Smith, A. 1979. British Tortricoid Moths, Tortricidae: Olethreutinae. The Ray Society, London. 336 pp. |
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| Malus domestica | Rosaceae | Sylven 1958Sylven 1958: Sylven, E. 1958. Studies on fruit leaf tortricids (Lepidoptera), with special reference to the periodicity of the adult moths. Statens Vaxtskyddsanstalt, Meddelanden [Swedish State Plant Protection Institute Contributions] 11: 74, pp. 135-296. Stockholm.; Diaconu 1998Diaconu 1998: Diaconu, A. 1998. Aspecte ale comportamentului de depunere a ouălor la Hedya dimidioalba (Retzius 1783) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) [Some aspects on the the behaviour of egg laying down at the Hedya dimidioalba (Retzius 1783) species (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)]. Sociatatea Lepidopterologica Romana Buletin de Informare. 91(1-2): 45-48. [In Romanian] |
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| Malus pumila | Rosaceae | Chapman & Lienk 1971 | |||
| Malus sylvestris | Rosaceae | Bradley et al. 1979Bradley et al. 1979: Bradley, J. D., Tremewan, W. G., Smith, A. 1979. British Tortricoid Moths, Tortricidae: Olethreutinae. The Ray Society, London. 336 pp. |
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| Mespilus germanica | Rosaceae | Chapman & Lienk 1971 | |||
| Padus avium | Rosaceae | Jaros & Spitzer 2002 | |||
| Prunus avium | Rosaceae | Bradley et al. 1979Bradley et al. 1979: Bradley, J. D., Tremewan, W. G., Smith, A. 1979. British Tortricoid Moths, Tortricidae: Olethreutinae. The Ray Society, London. 336 pp. |
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| Prunus salicina | Rosaceae | Heinrich 1926Heinrich 1926: Heinrich, C. 1926. Revision of the North American moths of the subfamilies Laspeyresiinae and Olethreutinae. Bulletin of the United States National Museum. 132: 1-216. |
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| Prunus spinosa | Rosaceae | Bradley et al. 1979Bradley et al. 1979: Bradley, J. D., Tremewan, W. G., Smith, A. 1979. British Tortricoid Moths, Tortricidae: Olethreutinae. The Ray Society, London. 336 pp. |
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| Prunus sp. | Rosaceae | Heinrich 1926Heinrich 1926: Heinrich, C. 1926. Revision of the North American moths of the subfamilies Laspeyresiinae and Olethreutinae. Bulletin of the United States National Museum. 132: 1-216.; Diaconu 1998Diaconu 1998: Diaconu, A. 1998. Aspecte ale comportamentului de depunere a ouălor la Hedya dimidioalba (Retzius 1783) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) [Some aspects on the the behaviour of egg laying down at the Hedya dimidioalba (Retzius 1783) species (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)]. Sociatatea Lepidopterologica Romana Buletin de Informare. 91(1-2): 45-48. [In Romanian] |
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| Pyrus sp. | Rosaceae | Heinrich 1926Heinrich 1926: Heinrich, C. 1926. Revision of the North American moths of the subfamilies Laspeyresiinae and Olethreutinae. Bulletin of the United States National Museum. 132: 1-216.; Bradley et al. 1979Bradley et al. 1979: Bradley, J. D., Tremewan, W. G., Smith, A. 1979. British Tortricoid Moths, Tortricidae: Olethreutinae. The Ray Society, London. 336 pp.; Diaconu 1998Diaconu 1998: Diaconu, A. 1998. Aspecte ale comportamentului de depunere a ouălor la Hedya dimidioalba (Retzius 1783) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) [Some aspects on the the behaviour of egg laying down at the Hedya dimidioalba (Retzius 1783) species (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)]. Sociatatea Lepidopterologica Romana Buletin de Informare. 91(1-2): 45-48. [In Romanian] |
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| Rosa sp. | Rosaceae | Bradley et al. 1979Bradley et al. 1979: Bradley, J. D., Tremewan, W. G., Smith, A. 1979. British Tortricoid Moths, Tortricidae: Olethreutinae. The Ray Society, London. 336 pp. |
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| Sorbus aucuparia | View full screen host table here DistributionHedya nubiferana was introduced into North America from Europe, where it is distributed throughout most of continental Europe, the United Kingdom, Russia, Turkey, and the Middle East. Reports from North Africa require confirmation. It was introduced to North America in Nova Scotia in 1913 and British Columbia in 1914. It is now distributed throughout much of northeastern North America and the Pacific Northwest. LinksAdditional photos and a distribution map of this species in North America are available at Moth Photographers Group.
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