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Codling Moth (Laspeyresia Pomonella)

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Codling Moth (Laspeyresia Pomonella) Published by Utah State University Extension and Utah Plant Pest Diagnostic Laboratory ENT-13-06 June 2010 Codling Moth (Cydia pomonella) Diane Alston, Entomologist • Marion Murray, IPM Project Leader • Michael Reding, Former IPM Project Leader Do You Know? • Codling moth is the major pest of apple and pear in Utah. • Damaging stage: larva tunnels into fruit • Monitoring stage: adult moth • Use of pheromone traps and the degree-day model (based on daily temperatures) are critical for determining optimal treatment timings. • Insecticides and pheromone-based mating disruption are currently the main management tactics. • Insecticides are targeted at newly hatched larvae and/or eggs. • Mating disruption devices need to be applied immediately before or at biofix (first moth Fig. 1. Codling moth adult activity) to prevent or adequately delay moth mating. • Biological control is minimally effective because larvae are protected inside fruit. • Insect development and spray timing information are available on the USU Extension Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Tree Fruit Pest Advisories Web page (www.utahpests.usu.edu/ipm/htm/ advisories/treefruit) or from your county USU Extension office. odling moth (Order Lepidoptera, Family Tortricidae) Cis the most serious pest of apple and pear worldwide (Fig. 1). In most commercial fruit producing regions and Fig. 2. Codling moth larva home yards in Utah, fruit must be protected to harvest a crop. Insecticides are the main control tactic. There moth each year (Fig. 3). In northern Utah, there are new insecticides available, many of which are less are typically two full generations and a partial third toxic to humans and beneficial insects and mites than generation. In southern Utah, most or all of a third earlier insecticides. For commercial orchards with more generation will occur. First generation moths begin to than 10 acres of contiguous apple and pear plantings, emerge about bloom time and peak in June in northern pheromone-based mating disruption can greatly reduce Utah. Second generation moths begin emerging in late codling moth populations to allow reduced insecticide June to early July and peak in late July to early August. use. Effective biological control has not been possible Third generation moths are active from about mid August because fruit is attacked by newly hatched larvae, which to mid September before declining day length induces are protected from natural enemies once inside the fruit the end of activity for the year. (Fig. 2). Sanitation methods can help reduce codling moth densities within an orchard, but alone cannot HOSTS provide satisfactory control. apple, pear, crabapple, English walnut, quince, In Utah, there are two to three generations of codling hawthorn, apricot, plum, peach, cherry • Bore into fruit within 24 hours after hatching, then LIFE HISTORY tunnel to core where they feed on developing seeds Larva – Overwintering Stage • Pass through five instars inside fruit in 3 to 5 weeks • Size and Color: 1/2 - 3/4 inch long when full grown, • Fruit attacked early in the spring often drops; larval creamy-white to tan development can be completed in the fallen fruit • Where: in silken cocoons under loose bark on tree, • After completing development, larvae exit from fruit in protected areas at base of tree, in fruit bins, or in by entry hole or by a new exit hole and crawl to a orchard trash piles protected site for pupation • Develop to pupal stage when spring temperatures • Entrance and exit holes are filled with frass exceed 50° F in late February and early March (excrement) and are usually conspicuous (Fig. 4) • Larvae may pupate and emerge as second- or third- Pupa generation adults in 10 - 20 days, or enter diapause • Size and Color: 1/2 inch long, brown and remain larvae until the following spring (Fig. 3) • Where: pupate inside silken cocoons under bark and in other protected sites Figure 3. Life history of codling moth. In Utah, there are three generations per year. • 7 - 30-day development period depending on temperature Larvae Larvae Larvae Adult – Monitoring Stage Pupae Pupae • Size: 1/2 inch long Monitor • Color: mottled gray and brown moth; bands of 1st B alternating gray and white on wings with a bronze to copper spot on the tip of each forewing (Fig. 1) Adults Adults Adults • Where: camouflaged against tree bark during the day with wings held tent-like over body Eggs Eggs Eggs • Become active when evening temperatures exceed 55 - 60° F. April May June July Aug. Sept. • After emerging, male moths can be caught in traps • The arrow indicates when adults should be monitored with baited with sex pheromone (codlemone) and both pheromone traps (1st B=first bloom). sexes can be caught in traps baited with codlemone and pear ester HOST INJURY • Peak moth activity is a few hours before and after twilight • Mated female moths can lay 30 - 70 eggs Deep Entries • Larvae tunnel Egg to center of fruit to feed on • Size and Shape: pinhead sized, flat, oval seeds (Fig. 2). • Color: translucent when first deposited, later turning • Brown frass white; just before hatching, the black head of the (excrement) larva is visible extrudes from • Where: laid singly on fruit or on upper surface of entry and exit leaves near fruit; difficult to spot in the orchard holes (Fig. 4). • Hatch occurs in 6 - 20 days depending on • Fruit attacked temperature during the first generation Fig. 4 Frass from codling moth exit Larva – Damaging Stage often drops prematurely. • Size and Color: 1/10 inch long upon hatching, pale white with a black head; 1/2 - 3/4 inch long when full grown, tan to pink with a brown head (Fig. 2) Stings • Stings are healed shallow or aborted entries that • Where: occasionally feed on terminal leaves and occur due to larvae death or when larvae exit the bore into shoots before seeking fruit feeding area and tunnel into fruit elsewhere. Page 2 TIMING CONTROL Monitoring with Pheromone Traps Trap Placement • Delta or wing style pheromone traps can be used to monitor adult activity (Fig. 5). Fig. 5 Delta trap • Sex pheromone (codlemone) and fruit volatile (pear Fig. 6. Diagram of trap placement within tree. ester) lures are used in traps to attract moths. Choice Arrow indicates direction of prevailing wind, dark of lure will depend on whether the orchard will line indicates moth flight trail up the pheromone be treated with mating disruption (MD). Lures are plume to the trap. available as a rubber septum or membrane: • Hang traps within the upper third of the tree canopy, parallel to the prevailing wind direction, Sex Orchard Lure and with an unobstructed entrance. Lure Type Attracted Type Longevity 1X Non-mating 30 or Males (codlemone) disrupted (MD) 60-day two moths are trapped on consecutive nights. 10X Males MD 21-day • It is imperative to determine the date on which biofix (codlemone) occurs to accurately initiate the codling moth model. CM-DA Combo (codlemone + Both MD 60-day Trap Servicing pear ester) • Trap catch data can be used to monitor moth CM-DA Both MD 60-day emergence to start degree-day accumulations, (pear ester) to assist with determining optimal spray timings, to determine the relative size of the moth population, • Place traps in orchards by first bloom or based on and to help in evaluating the success of your degree-day (temperature) accumulations (Table 1). management program. • Place traps within the upper third of the tree canopy • Check traps weekly and record the number of moths (preferably 6 - 7 ft. high) making sure the trap caught (see Codling Moth Sampling Form, ENT- entrance is not blocked and that it is parallel to the 13SF-06). After recording, remove moths from trap. prevailing wind direction (Fig. 6). • Change pheromone lures based on manufacturer’s • A minimum of two traps should be placed in each recommended product longevity and change sticky orchard. For orchards greater than 10 acres, place trap panels after catching 20 to 30 moths or after one trap for every 5 acres. debris has collected on the surface. • Hang at least one trap on the edge and at least one • Zero trap catch does not necessarily mean there near the center of the orchard to determine if moths are no moths in the orchard. Evening temperatures are immigrating from outside sources and/or over- below 60° F are not conducive to moth flight, and a wintering within the orchard. Suspected “hot spots” lack of breeze in the evening means the trap cannot within the orchard should be monitored separately. create a pheromone plume, which lures moths inside • Check traps every 1 to 2 days until the first moth is (Fig. 6). Also, old or ineffective lures can cause zero caught. trap catch. Biofix • Do not cross-contaminate lures or traps between • Biofix is a biological marking point from which the insect species. Do not handle or store unsealed rest of an insect’s development is measured. It is the pheromone lures together from more than one beginning of consistent moth flight, or where at least species. Do not reuse a trap that contained a pheromone lure from another species. Page 3 • Plan to use the same type of trap and lure from year to year so that you can compare results. Table 1. Major events in a codling moth manage- ment program, based on accumulated degree days Degree-day Model Degree % Adults % Egg The Degree-day Method Days Emerged Hatch Management Event 100 * 0 0 • The development of codling moth, like all insects, • Place traps in orchards can be predicted based on accumulated heat over 150 - 200 First moths 0 • Check traps every time, called degree days (DD). Use of the codling expected 1-2 days until biofix is determined moth phenology model based on DD will help to more accurately time insecticide applications and First Generation reduce the number of applications to a minimum.
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