Himalayan yellow raspberry, Rubus ellipticus is one of the world’s 100 worst invasive alien species. The
plant has become a serious problematic weed in Hawaii, USA and is naturalized in many other countries.
Screening of potential biological control agents is being conducted in its native region in Asia. In this
paper, we report on the field distribution, abundance and host specificity of two leaf-rolling moth species,
Epinotia ustulana and Epiblema tetragonana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). In larval non-choice tests both species
only developed on plants in the genus Rubus. However, in adult choice oviposition tests, both leaf
rollers showed a strong preference for R. ellipticus over other species. Furthermore, leaf-rolls by these
two insects were only found on R. ellipticus in the field. These results indicate the moths have a narrow
host range. Our field surveys also showed that both moth species are widely distributed in Yunnan
Province, southeastern China, with up to 115 leaf rolls per plant, suggesting high levels of damage. These
findings indicate that the two insects have considerable potential for biological control of R. ellipticus,
though further host range tests should be conducted using more native plant species in Hawaii.