Obliquebanded leafroller

Obliquebanded leafroller biology & life cycle

Obliquebanded Leafroller is a moth found in apple growing areas in North America. They have a wide range of hosts including feeding on all species of fruit trees, hardwoods grey dogwood, and brambles.

Early season feeding is rarely at an economical loss though smaller apples once fed upon receive deep gouges from the insects and may eventually drop off in the June drop. The fruit itself can sustain esthetic damage of varying kinds from this insect which can lead to a drop in grading at the packers depending on degree of damage. Certain apple varieties with larger leaves may be more difficult for the Leafroller to invade but in those varieties considered to be more susceptible, up to 25% damage has been seen

Identifying Obliquebanded leafroller

Obliquebanded leafroller: eggs

Eggs are laid on the upper surface of leaves in masses of several hundred. The eggs are light green to yellow. Just before hatching, eggs turn black on the inside.

Obliquebanded leafroller: larvae

Obliquebanded leafrollers overwinter as a second or third instar under the bark or in tree crotches. In the spring when the temperatures rise to about 10C they grow body parts which aid in feeding and begin their feeding on flower and leaf buds. Once the leaves get a bit bigger, the larvae roll the leaf up and form a cocoon like web inside, hence their name.

The first generation emerges about four weeks later and begin laying egg masses largely in the upper portions of the trees. The larvae are capable of travelling via the wind by using silken threads to blow to neighbouring trees. These larvae then feed on leaves and fruit. The second generations hatches and begins feeding in late August and both generations continue feeding on into September until they prepare for winter.

Obliquebanded leafroller: Pupae

Pupation takes place around June inside the rolled up leaves.

Obliquebanded leafroller: adult

Adults are a light or dark tan coloured moth with darker bands on the forewings. The wing span in males is 10-22 mm with the females being larger and darker.

Obliquebanded leafroller: management

In recent years Obliquebanded Leafrollers have become a significant pest in the apple industry due to their growing resistance to organophosphate insecticides and in some areas, pyrethroids as well.