Lacanobia fruitworm
Lacanobia subjuncta
1 host plant
Last updated
Lacanobia fruitworm caterpillars tunnel into developing stone fruits and pome fruits during May and June, creating distinctive holes with darkened edges in affected fruit. The caterpillars are pale to greenish and grow to about 1 inch long. Early infestations cause fruit drop or create deep tunneling damage that renders fruit unmarketable. You detect damage by examining young fruit in late April and early May.
Scout fruit clusters in late April and early May for evidence of small caterpillars or entry punctures. Remove infested fruit by hand during early detection. For heavy populations, apply spinosad or biological insecticides targeting the larval stage before fruit damage progresses. Time applications to late April. Eliminate nearby wild host plants where practical.
Quick Reference
Also known as speckled cutworm moth, the adult is about 1 inch in length and has a distinctive color pattern of scales on the wing that range from light brown to black. The appearance of the larva varies with age: young larvae resemble green fruitworms (green with a lateral stripe), while older larvae may be bright green to tan to a light red or brick color. Mature larvae have a herringbone pattern on the dorsal side and may be up to 2 inches in length. Larvae can defoliate shoots. Older larvae...
Cultural Controls
- -cultural control Home orchardists: Adults can be collected in black-light traps.
- Hand-pick larvae when thinning fruit.
- Management-