Fruittree leafroller
Archips argyrospila (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)
Orientation to pest
Fruittree leafroller, Archips argyrospila (Walker), is a native tortricid moth that is part of a species complex, of difficult to separate forms. It is found throughout the United States and from coast to coast in southern Canada, where it feeds on a wide range of hardwoods. Winter is passed as eggs, which are laid in masses on twigs or small branches. Eggs hatch in spring and larvae feed on buds, blossoms, young fruit, and unfolding leaves. Foliage is webbed together by larvae to form a nest in which they rest, moving out to feed on new foliage. Pupation occurs in a loose cocoon spun in the nest. Outbreaks of this species have occurred, especially in the eastern and Great Lakes parts of the USA.
Hosts commonly attacked
Lavae of fruittree leafroller feed on hardwood, including poplar (Populus), birch (Betula), basswood (Tilia), ash (Fraxinus), hickory (Carya), elm (Ulmus), oak (Quercus), maple (Acer), walnut (Juglans), and buckeye (Aesculus).
Distribution
This moth is found throughout the United States and southern Canada.
Images of fruittree leafroller
Figure 1. Adult of fruittree leafroller, Archips argyrospila | Figure 2. Egg mass of fruittree leafroller |
Figure 3. Larva of fruittree leafroller | Figure 4. Pupa of fruittree leafroller, in opened larval nest | Figure 5. Leafroll or nest of larvae of fruittree leafroller |
Important biological control agents related to this pest species
Many natural enemies have been reared from the larvae and pupae of this species, but they vary by region and none seem to be specialized. In Louisiana, on an outbreak of a closely related species, Archips goyerana Kruse, on bald cypress (Taxodium distichum [L.] Rich.), the most common parasitoids reared were the ichneumonid Itoplectis conquisitor Say, followed by the chalcid Brachymeria ovata (Say), both generalists with wide host ranges.
Web links for information on fruittree leafroller
- Fact Sheet from LBAM ID | CSU, CDFA, and USDA/APHIS/PPQ/CPHST
Tools for diagnosing light brown apple moth and related western U. S. leafrollers - IPM Fact Sheet and Pest Notes | University of California Statewide IPM Program
Information and advice for the home gardener
Articles
- Kruse, J. J. and F. A. H. Sperling. 2001. Molecular phylogeny within and between species of the Archips argyrospila complex (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America 94: 166-173.
- Wei, H. X., R. A. Goyer, and G. Lenhard.1998. Abundance of parasitoids of Archips argyrospila (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in Louisiana. Environmental Entomology 27: 726-730.