About Dioryctria auranticella Grote, 1883
Dioryctria auranticella, commonly called the ponderosa pineconeworm moth, is a moth species belonging to the family Pyralidae. It was first described by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1883. This species is distributed across western North America, ranging from southern British Columbia in the north, south to California and Arizona, and east to South Dakota and New Mexico. The wingspan of adults is between 10.5 and 14 mm. Adult moths are active in flight from mid-July to early August. The larvae feed on two pine species: Pinus ponderosa and Pinus attenuata. They usually feed inside the cones of their host plants, but will occasionally feed on the twigs instead.
