Fruit tree leaf roller caterpillars and moths - The bane of Okanagan farmers

Fruit tree leaf rollers    Top: pupa  Bottom: caterpillar  Right: enlarged head

I noticed my fruit trees had numerous clusters of leaves that were stuck together.  I opened one up and discovered a small green caterpillar inside, maybe an inch long.  When picking up the designer of the protective housing, it wriggled spastically in the palm of my hand.  The inhabitant of another leaf cluster fell as I pried the home apart; it dropped from a single thread halfway to the ground and dangled there, probably hoping to return to its abode.  You can see an example of the caterpillar and leafy home below.

Top: leaves wrapped encasing a caterpillar.  Bottom left: the inhabitant

I had discovered a species of fruit tree leaf rollers; the caterpillars would use their silk to make a protective enclosure that they could live in when not foraging.  It also serves as a great place to pupate.  The caterpillars do a fair amount of damage to the tree, not only eating the leaves but also the fruit in some cases.  The leaves get bound in such a way that they no longer support the tree.  

There are numerous sites on these pests.  The government of Canada has one (click here).  BC has one (click here).  Kelowna even has one (click here).  It seems that the best way to deal with them is to use a bacteria that sits atop the plants that they eat which then destroys the gut.  The bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis works well, but may need an additional application if the crop is heavily infested.  For more information, check out the links above.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com

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