Overview
The summer fruit tortrix moth is native to Europe and Asia but is
not known to occur in the United States. It is a pest of apple, cherry,
and pear, but also feeds on other Rosaceous hosts, as well as maple,
alder, peanut, birch, hawthorn, forsythia, ash, honeysuckle, alfalfa,
poplar, oak, rose, willow, elm, and lilac. Females lay yellow masses of
eggs in early spring. The larvae hatch and leave behind the transparent
shell of the eggs. The head of the larvae is light brown to yellow. It
has a greenish body ornamented with warts and light hairs. When
disturbed, the larvae spin a silken thread and descend to escape. This
thread is also a possible method for movement via wind. Mature
larvae spin a 1/3 to 1/2 of an inch cocoon before molting into light
brown pupae. Pupae will darken as it matures. Adult moths are 1/3
to 1/2 of an inch long with brownish wings marked in a variable
dark-brown pattern. Males are smaller than females and have brighter
colors. Two to three generations may occur per year, depending on
temperature. On apple, it can be expected that damage from the first
generation will result in large deep holes where as the second generation
produces small holes of less than 1/5 of an inch in diameter.