| Codling Moth |
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Information AboutCodling Moth |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT CODLING MOTH | |
| tortricidae | |
| agricultural pest insects | |
The codling moth (''Cydia pomonella'') is an Agricultural pest of the Lepidoptera n family Tortricidae . Its larva is the common Apple worm. It is native to Europe and was introduced to North America, where it has become one of the regular pests of apple orchards. It is found almost worldwide. It also attacks Pear s, Walnut s, and other tree fruits. The codling moth is grayish with light gray and copper stripes on its wings, and has an average wingspan of 17 mm. The females lay eggs on fruit trees and the black-headed yellow larvae attack the fruit immediately upon hatching. Each larva burrows into the fruit, eats for around three weeks, then leaves the fruit to overwinter and pupate elsewhere. Codling moth infestations are often prevented with Pesticide s. Many other methods of control are being utilized as techniques are refined. Pheromone traps are used to prevent successful mating by capturing male moths using female Pheromone as an attractant. '''Mating disruption devices''' emit female pheromone in higher quantities so that males are not actually trapped, merely confused and unable to locate females. The unmated females then lay unfertilized eggs. Such methods tend only to work in orchards larger than five hectares, since in smaller orchards mates can find each other more easily. Codling moth is also a good candidate for Biological Control by '' Trichogramma '' wasps. The wasps deposit their eggs into codling moth eggs, and the developing wasp larvae consume the moth embryo inside. Another method, 'trunk banding', consists of wrapping a corrugated cardboard strip around the tree trunk, and then removing and burning it once codling moths migrating away from fruit have borrowed and laid eggs into it. Recent trials of non-toxic kaolin clay-based sprays indicate that an effective alternative means of codling moth suppression may be on the horizon. Codling moth and other pests find leaves and fruit covered in kaolin clay unfit for laying eggs. Tiny particles of the clay tend to attach to their bodies, disturbing and repelling them. In addition, trees covered in kaolin clay can make them less recognizable as habitat to codling moths. Full coverage of trees is necessary in order to achieve effective suppression. If used only at the beginning of the fruit growing season, kaolin clay often comes off by itself due to wind and rain attrition, leaving fruit clean at harvest time. The prime difficulty in dealing with codling moth infestations seems to lie with appropriate timing. The method of calculating 'degree-days' is often used by orchardists to approximate when a particular pest will reach a particular stage of development during a given season. Since stages of insect development are triggered by the accumulation of a certain amount of heat over time, this calculation involves careful tracking of changes in daily temperature. In the case of codling moth, pupating larvae emerging from bark and other overwintering spaces will migrate and borrow into apples soon after petal fall. For a given worm, this migration takes place within a mere two to three hours. Effective control using any method therefore depends crucially on identifying when decisive moments such as these occur. EXTERNAL LINKS |
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