Eastern peach codling moth - how to recognize and neutralize

Initially, the eastern moth was localized in East Asia. Subsequently, it spread to the territory of Australia, North America, Italy, and then Europe. Settled in the Crimea, central, southern and western regions of Russia. The pest terrorizes pink-flowered shrubs and trees, but prefers peaches, for which the eastern moth is also called peach. If no measures are taken, with mass reproduction, the insect population can destroy 50 to 100% of the crop.

Biological features of the peach moth

Eastern codling moth - a butterfly from the family Leaflet. It belongs to the quarantine type. When imported in case of detection in the fruits, on cuttings of butterflies, caterpillars or cocoons, seedlings, fruits are subject to decontamination or destruction.

Appearance

What does a peach moth look like:

• the wingspan varies from 10 to 15 mm, females are larger than males in size;
• front wings of dark gray-brown shades, covered with light scales, forming transverse wavy lines;
• with a detailed study of the eastern moth, a black velvety line bordering the edges of the front wings is noticeable;
• hind wings of a lighter brown color and a long fringe with a silver tint;
• legs of a dark color, paws of saturated gray color with characteristic white ringlets;
• abdomen silvery with brown spots;
• the head is crowned with a thin filiform tendrils, which barely make up half the length of the front wings.

You can distinguish between a female and a male by the abdomen. In females it is thickened and ends with a mirror, in males it is long and narrow. The hind wings of males are devoid of dentate fringe.

For peach codling moths long flights are not characteristic. Males in search of a female for mating can overcome up to 300 meters. Females are more lazy and do not overcome distances longer than 50 meters. The peak of activity occurs at twilight time, most often butterflies can be seen in the morning or evening hours.

Vital activity of pests

In winter, the peach codling moth spends in a transparent oval cocoon in plant debris, in the bark of trees, in fallen fruits, in the upper soil layer, under foliage in the radius of the trunk circle. When the thermometer reaches 15 ° С and the period of buds opening begins, butterflies fly out of pupae. On the 3rd day of life, they begin to lay eggs. Lay one egg each on young shoots, in the summer in the sepals, on the lower parts of the leaves.

Females of the eastern moth are distinguished by extraordinary fecundity and in their short life give offspring of 100-200 individuals. Years last about a month. An adult butterfly lives 7-10 days, in the autumn period, the life span is increased to 25 days.

On a note! From 4 to 6 generations of generations of the eastern codling mound occur in the southern regions per year.

Transparent round eggs with a pearly tint. Size is only 0.4 mm. If you look closely, you can see small wrinkles on the front. As it develops, the egg becomes pink, and just before hatching, the caterpillar itself is visible in it. Depending on the temperature regime, embryonic development lasts from 6 to 12 days.

Only the caterpillar of the eastern codling moth was born, white, cream-colored, with a dark head and brown anal shield.

Young individuals of the first generation damage young shoots, gnaw through them from the top to lignified tissues, gnaw out a round hole and move to the next shoots. Drops of gum are visible at the caterpillar introduction site. Damaged shoots crack, dry out and fade.

Caterpillars of the next generations feed on shoot tissues, infect the ovaries, penetrate into the fruit, until the seed is petrified, eat juicy flesh, fill the space with waste products.

In peach, the caterpillar caterpillar develops 9-12 days, in apple trees or quinces up to 24 days. During this period, it undergoes 5 molts, after which it passes to the pupation stage. Pupae often continue their development in the cavities of the fruit, as well as in the crown of the tree, in shoots, in folded leaves. The color of the pupae is dark brown; they are densely covered with spikes and protected by a transparent gray cocoon.
The duration of the pupation period depends on the ambient temperature, the type of tree on which the insect lives and varies from 12 to 40 days. Then a butterfly flies out of the cocoon, ready for mating and reproduction. During the season, several generations of pests appear, so during the growing season on the tree you can find insects at all stages of development.

The damage caused by the eastern codling moth

Insects feed only on plant tissues; they do not attack humans. What is the danger of the eastern codling moth for humans is the damage to garden crops. Given the rapid reproduction, fertility, rapid development, the pest is able to occupy fruit trees in a short time and completely deprive the crop.

On a note! In addition to peach and quince, the peach moth affects cherries, apple trees, almonds, pears, cherries, plum trees.

The oriental moth on a peach makes many moves inside, leaves its excrement in them. Such fruits become unfit for consumption. If the pest attacked the young ovaries, they rot and fall. Damage to young shoots leads to a reduction in the growth of green mass, which also negatively affects the yield. In addition, the shoots in which the caterpillars have settled dry up.

Codling moth control methods

Measures to combat the eastern moth are divided into agrotechnical, mechanical, biological and chemical. Their goal is to reduce the number of insects and prevent them from multiplying:

1. In the autumn period, deep plowing of the aisles and digging of the soil around the trunks is carried out. Such a measure will destroy the wintering pupae of the peach moth and prevent the mass years of butterflies in the early spring. Trunk circles also periodically dig and loosen during the growing season of plants.
2. Timely cleansing and removal of dead bark from fruit trees, followed by destruction (burning). If this is not done, then a significant part of the harmful insects will hide under the bark and winter safely in a reliable shelter.
3. Collecting fallen damaged fruits and digging them into the soil to a depth of at least 50 cm. It is recommended to collect the scavenger in the evening so that the caterpillars do not have time to crawl onto intact fruits.
4. Pruning shoots damaged by caterpillars will significantly reduce the number of insects.
5. The use of hunting belts to catch caterpillars that leave the fruit and go in search of new ones or choose a place for pupation.

Eastern Codling Traps

Crafting belts are easy to do with your own hands. For their manufacture, any rags, corrugated paper, rubber, plastic film are suitable. For young trees, plastic bottles are often used. The hunting belt may be a funnel, a trap with an adhesive surface or a belt saturated with an insecticidal solution.

To make a funnel, you need cardboard with a width of at least 20-25 cm, the length is determined by the thickness of the trunk. The upper part of the structure should fit snugly to the tree, and the lower should be at least 5 cm backward. The trap is fastened with a rope, twine, and electrical tape.

The main advantage of dry hunting belts is environmental friendliness and safety. The most effective such devices in the spring.

To prevent a mass invasion, glue or insecticidal traps are used. To create a device, rags with a width of 30-35 cm should be abundantly moistened in an insecticidal solution. Wrap the barrel with it and cover with a film on top. Secure the entire structure with a rope.

To build an adhesive trap, you should wrap the barrel with paper and cover it with garden glue, tar, tar. To protect fruit trees from the eastern codling moth, different types of traps can be used simultaneously.

Pheromone traps for moth moths are also used. The main purpose of the devices is not so much the capture of insects as the determination of the feasibility of pest control. If more than 5 individuals are found in a trap, then trees are sprayed with chemicals.

Insecticides for the destruction of peach codling moths

Processing of fruit trees can be carried out three times a year:

• in the spring, when the years of butterflies of the eastern codling moth begin;
• 2 weeks after flowering;
• 30 days or more before harvest.

Important! It is strictly forbidden to process plantings with insecticides during the flowering period.

To destroy the eastern codling moth, the following drugs are used:

• Karbofos 10% - 30 g per 5 liters of water;
• Rovikurt 25% - 5 g per 5 l of water;
• Chlorophos - 10 g per 5 l of water;
• Trichloro-metaphos 10% - 30 g per 5 l of water;
• Benzophosphate - 30 g per 5 liters of water.

On average, 10 liters of working solution are spent on processing one adult fruiting tree, 2 liters are enough to spray a young tree. Disinsection measures are carried out using personal protective equipment: a respirator, gloves, buried clothes.