Oriental Fruit Moth: Appearance, Territory, Damage and Life Cycle

Latin Name: Grapholita Molesta

Appearance: The adult moth is a little dark gray moth with wingspan of around 1/2 inch. The front wings have a scattering of bright patterns. The eggs are transparent white, slightly convex, round or oval, and disc-like in shape. Young larvae have a white body with a black head and dark shields on the thorax and final abdominal segment. Mature larvae are pink or almost crimson in color and about 1/2 inch long. On the ventral part of the final abdominal segment above the anal entrance, there is a blackish anal fork (comb-like protrusion).

Hosts Plants: Although peach and nectarine are the principal hosts of the oriental fruit moth, it will also attack quince, apricot, apple, plum, cherry, pear, rose, and blooming cherry. While apple infestations are frequent in some eastern apple-growing zones, they are uncommon in the Northwest.

Territory: The oriental fruit moth is endemic to China but has spread around the world. It is a member of the tortricid family, like the codling moth, and is one of the most serious lepidopterous pests of apple in North Carolina.

Damage Insect Cause: Larvae wreak havoc on budding shoots and fruit. Feeding on shoots destroys the shoot’s tip, resulting in typical shoot strikes or flagging. The most serious harm, however, happens when larvae feed on fruit, leading it to be graded off grade. Small larvae usually enter the fruit near the stem end, although they can penetrate elsewhere on the fruit, especially where two fruits contact. Larvae burrow to the core of the fruit and feed on the pit. When they attain adulthood, they leave the fruit and pupate.

Life History and Habits: The oriental fruit moth overwinters as fully developed larvae in cocoons on or near the host tree. They pupate in the early spring, and moths emerge about the time that peach trees are in full bloom (usually early April). In Oklahoma, there are probably 5 or 6 overlapping generations every year. Borers inhabit the succulent terminal twigs of peaches for the majority of the first two generations. During some seasons, large numbers attack little green peaches. The majority of the insects assault the fruit in succeeding generations.

The first two or three generations are complete, but some of the larvae stop growing and produce overwintering cocoons in subsequent generations. Peach is home to a big portion of the inhabitants throughout the spring and July. Apple becomes a favorite host in late summer and fall, while unsprayed quince is nearly always strongly attacked.