Zeiraphera ratzeburgiana

Zeiraphera ratzeburgiana, the spruce bud moth or Ratzeburg tortricid, is a moth of the family Tortricidae. It is found from northern and central Europe to eastern Russia and China (Gansu, Qinghai).[2] Zeiraphera ratzeburgiana is a taxonomically similar species to Zeiraphera canadensis and can only be distinguished by an anal comb found in Z. canadensis.

Zeiraphera ratzeburgiana
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Tortricidae
Genus:	Zeiraphera
Species:	Z. ratzeburgiana
Binomial name
Zeiraphera ratzeburgiana (Saxesen in Ratzeburg, 1840)[1]
Synonyms
Phalaena Tortrix Coccyx ratzeburgiana Saxesen in Ratzeburg, 1840 Sericoris abietisana Freyer, 1842 Zeiraphera bimaculana Schlger, 1848 Grapholitha binotana Wocke, 1861 Grapholitha binotatana Heinemann, 1863 Sericoris errana Guenee, 1845 Semasia (Zeiraphera) paludiphila Toll, 1957

The wingspan is 12–15 mm. Adults are on wing in July and August.

The larvae mainly feed on Picea abies, but has also been recorded on Picea sitchensis, Picea smithiana, Pinus sylvestris, Pinus pinea and Abies cephalonica. The larvae penetrate into the buds of the host plant and feed on the needles and eventually on the growing point. Malformation of the bud causes the young shoot to bend which severely damages the growing point. Larvae can also attack the female blossom and damage the young cone.