Patterns of host plant utilization of the pine resin gall mothRetinia resinellain a young Scots pine stand were studied along a belt transect in southeastern Finland. The gall distribution in 1984–1989 was retrospectively analysed. The moth preferred leaders to lateral shoots. In 1984, 60% of the galls occurred on the leaders, while the respective proportion was 40% in 1986 and 38% in 1988. The mean height of pines attacked by the moth changed from 74 to 127 cm. In 1984, moth galls on leaders occurred on higher and better‐growing trees than the average, while the opposite was true in 1988. There was an indication of clumping ofR. resinella, with clumps spaced about 20 m apart which may be‐due to microhabitat distribution, the behaviour of ovipositing females or spatial dynamics of predators. The galls occurred more frequently on trees with a previous year's gall, but this tendency was not observed in the leader galls. The results support the view that the pattern of host plant utilization by a herbivore may profoundly depend on the successional stage of the habitat.