▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁sex ▁ph er om ones ▁that ▁the ▁spr uce ▁bud ▁moth ▁releases ▁while ▁m ating , ▁and ▁was ▁found ▁to ▁particularly ▁attract ▁male ▁moth s . ▁This ▁ph er om one ▁can ▁be ▁synth es ized ▁and ▁is ▁being ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁p est ▁control ▁method ▁to ▁trap ▁spr uce ▁bud ▁moth s . ▁ ▁Cop ulation ▁and ▁number ▁of ▁m ates ▁ ▁Spr uce ▁bud ▁moth s ▁mate ▁between ▁ 1 0 ▁pm ▁and ▁ 4 ▁am . ▁The ▁male ▁flo ats ▁slightly ▁above ▁the ▁female ▁who ▁is ▁rest ing ▁on ▁a ▁branch , ▁and ▁then ▁p aus es ▁and ▁remains ▁still ▁a ▁short ▁distance ▁away ▁from ▁the ▁female ▁before ▁cop ulating . ▁This ▁pause ▁may ▁en comp ass ▁some ▁form ▁of ▁communication ▁between ▁the ▁male ▁and ▁female . ▁Both ▁males ▁and ▁females ▁mate ▁with ▁multiple ▁partners , ▁making ▁the ▁species ▁pol yg am ous . ▁However , ▁males ▁se crete ▁access ory ▁g land ▁prote ins ▁alongside ▁s per mat op hor es ▁that ▁can ▁prevent ▁females ▁from ▁re - m ating . ▁The ▁size ▁of ▁the ▁male ▁affect s ▁his ▁ability ▁ins em inate , ▁due ▁to ▁differential ▁s per mat oph ore ▁sizes . ▁Lar ger ▁males ▁are ▁also ▁better ▁able ▁to ▁se crete ▁access ory ▁g land ▁prote ins . ▁ ▁Phys ical ▁appearance ▁▁ ▁Spr uce ▁bud ▁moth ▁lar va e ▁are ▁approximately ▁one ▁cent imeter ▁in ▁length . ▁They ▁begin ▁as ▁brown ▁and ▁by ▁the ▁time ▁they ▁reach ▁the ▁fourth - inst