Moths and Butterflies of North Carolina

The Conifer Swift Moth (Korscheltellus gracilis) is a swift moth considered a forest pest in eastern and central North America, from Canada south to North Carolina. Larvae feed primarily on roots of evergreen trees, and are weakly polyphagous, able to survive on deciduous trees (e.g. birches, Betula) but preferring Balsam fir and red spruce. They penetrate bark, but lesions on roots are shallow. These wounds may, however, provide easy entry for pathogenic fungi and nematodes. K.... less ↑