Leafroller
Tortricidae
97 host plants
Last updated
Various leafroller moth caterpillars create rolled and webbed leaf shelters on numerous host plants, feeding within the protected area. You notice the distinctive rolled or crumpled leaves tied together with silk webbing; unrolling them reveals pale, active caterpillars that wiggle backward when disturbed. Feeding damage can range from light, cosmetic leaf damage to more serious fruit damage within flower clusters.
Scout host plants in late spring for early leafroller settlement and remove affected leaves by hand if populations are light. For orchards or landscapes with recurring problems, monitor for shelter formation starting in late April. Time spinosad or biological insecticide applications directly to visible shelters. Repeat every 7 to 10 days as new leaves are sheltered.
Quick Reference
The principal leafroller pest of caneberry crops is the orange tortrix, which tends to infest early ripening caneberries and some blackberries. The obliquebanded leafroller is another leafroller species found in caneberry fields. Adults of these two species are buff-color moths with wing spans of 12 to 20 mm, and bell-shaped at rest. The larvae of the orange tortrix are light cream to green with light brown heads, and are up to 12mm in length at maturity. Obliquebanded leafroller larvae are...
Cultural Controls
- Very low temperatures in winter significantly reduce overwintering populations.
- Spiders and parasitic/predatory insects greatly reduce leafroller populations throughout the year.
- Removal of overwintering sites, such as rolled leaves on the ground or plastered to canes, can reduce next year's population.
- Proper pruning and training of canes can reduce leafroller populations.
- Avoid use of broad-spectrum insecticides which can disrupt natural...