Douglas-fir pitch moth occurs from northern California to Alaska. Instead of yellow as with sequoia pitch moth, the adult Douglas-fir pitch moth is bright orange and blackish. Its biology, life history, and management are similar to those of sequoia pitch moth. Warmer inland sites experience earlier adult emergence in comparison with cooler sites closer to the coast. Because not all individuals emerge from pupae at the same time, adult moths can be present anytime from May through early September.
Adults live only a few days, during which time they mate and females lay eggs.
Eggs are laid individually on bark, usually in bark crevices around pruning wounds and other injury sites. They hatch in about 2 weeks. The dirty white, grayish, or pink larvae feed for several months, excavating a shallow cavity that penetrates the inner bark to the cambium surface of wood. After feeding, about one month is spent in the pupal stage. Before adults emerge, the pupae force about half of their length through the pitch surface.