Obliquebanded Leafroller

You will find green caterpillars rolling and tying leaves together into shelters for feeding and protection. Larvae thrash violently when disturbed and may drop suspended by silk threads. Adults are tan to brown bell-shaped moths with broad wing bands, reaching one inch long. Rolled leaves appear light brown and papery where larvae have fed. Host plants include ornamental cherries, apricots, and many rosaceous plants.

Remove rolled leaves by hand when populations are light. Time sprays for late June when first-generation adults lay eggs for the second generation. Spiders and parasitic wasps significantly reduce populations naturally. Avoid broad-spectrum insecticides that kill beneficial insects. Most plants tolerate moderate damage.