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Oriental fruit moth, Grapholita molesta

The oriental fruit moth is one of the most important pests of stone fruits . It occurs in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America and Oceania. Host plants include plum, cherry and apricot as well as hawthorn, quince and apple. There are between four to six generations per year depending on the climate. Populations build up rapidly in warmer springs and autumns. First generation larvae feed on shoots and may bore into fruitlets. Later generations cause damage by boring into fruit at the stem and by feed around the pit. Monitor adults using Mothcatcher or Delta traps with species-specific pheromone lures in order to time treatments as part of an effective integrated pest management programme.
Biology

 

Nature of Damage

 

Monitoring
Application Guidelines

Lures
Lures can be changed every 4-6 weeks to get the most accurate results.

Lures Handling
Pheromone lures are a very sensitive tool. They can be affected by exposure to elevated heat and direct sunshine. Direct touching by hand may cause cross contamination leading to mixed catches in the trap. Some contaminants such as Nicotine May have repellent effect reducing trap catch.

Lure Storage
Store in a cool dry place. Shelf life can vary from 3-36 months depending on the storage temperature. See Technical Data Sheet for further details.

Trap Selection

The Deltra trap is the most sensitive trap to use for monitoring this insect. However, Moth catcher may be used in dusty conditions or in high moth population density.

Trap Density

Do not re-use the trap to monitor different insects as this may lead to mixed catches. One trap for every two hectares of large scale fields of homogenous lands.

Two traps per hectare (2trap/ha) for small holdings and in field of uneven topography.

Trap Position

Place traps near the highest point of the plant using supporting posts approximately 1 meter high, or higher if the crop is higher.

Data and Interpretation

Collect data weekly from the start of the flight of the over wintering generation. During the height of the population more frequent reading may be needed. Decisions on pesticide application should not be taken solely on the trap catch data. Climatic and biological considerations should be taken in account.