Description of Skin caterpillars in pip fruit, Pandemis heparana, Cacoecimorpha pronubana, Adoxophyes orana

Of the many species of tortricids that can affect fruit trees, the most frequent one is Pandemis heparana, although it only occasionally causes damage of some consideration.

The adult 20 mm wingspan, has light brown wings with two bands of darker color. Makes the laying, on the leaves of the pear tree and the apple tree, in ooplacas of light green color and covered with wax.

The light green larva can reach 22 mm and lives in the leaves. Chrysalis in the leaves that winds with silk threads.

biology

Pandemis heparana. Presents two generations per year. Winter spends as a larva of early stages, when sprouting begins it is located near the flower buds to feed.

Complete the cycle between the leaves that are joined by silk threads to provide shelter. The first adults appear during the month of May and after about 20 days the emergence of the larvae occurs.

These evolve feeding on leaves and the epidermis of the fruits appearing the adults of second generation at the end of August.

The larvae born in autumn evolve little and enter diapause protected in the cracks of branches and trunks to restart the activity to the next sprouting.

Symptoms and damage of Skin Caterpillars in pip fruit, Pandemis heparana, Cacoecimorpha pronubana, Adoxophyes orana

In prefloración superficially holes the leaves and the flowers of the corimbos.

As it grows it feeds indiscriminately from the leaves and the epidermis of the fruits, leaving a trace similar to an embroidery.

The wounds that it causes in the fruits devalue them completely whereas the damages on leaves do not usually have economic consequences.

Critical period for cultivation

If the populations are high the damage in pre-flowering can be significant but the worst is usually produced by the second generation on fruits in the maturing stage.

Monitoring and estimation of the risk for the crop

In plots with a history of damage in the previous campaign, the following follow-up should be started:

In April install a trap per homogeneous unit of barley culture with pheromone and check it weekly until harvest

In the prefloración observe 10 corimbos in each one of the 20-50 trees that compose the sample.

During the vegetation observe 2 shoots in active growth in each of the 20-50 trees that should compose the sample.

Threshold / Moment of intervention

In pheromone trap more than 15 captures per trap per week. By observation of damage in preflowering 1% of affected corimbos or 2% of outbreaks with symptoms of the pest in the controls made during the vegetation.