Fruit IPM
Factsheet Fruit IPM
Factsheet
Cherry Fruitworm
Scientific Name--
Grapholitha packardi (Zeller)
Family--
Tortricidae
Reference: Common Tree Fruit Pest
Angus Howitt, 1993, NCR 63-
Michigan State University
The Cherry Fruitworm was first reported in Texas by Zeller in 1876. It was reported as a pest of apples in Missouri in 1891 and as a pest of apples, peaches and roses in New York by Forbes in 1923. In 1939, it was reported as a pest of blueberries in New Jersey. It was first reported as a pest of tart cherries in 1929 in British Columbia. In 1939, cherry fruitworms caused heavy losses of tart cherries in Washington. In 1949, it was first noted as a pest of tart cherries in Wisconsin and Michigan. In 1985, it caused severe damage to blueberries in Michigan.
Life Stages
Egg: The eggs are whitish yellow and circular to elliptical. They are difficult to detect because they are the same color as the fruit when they are laid. As development proceeds, the contents of the egg turn grayish white. Shortly before they hatch, the larval head capsules are readily visible.
Larva: Newly hatched larvae are very similar to those of lesser appleworm. They are whitish gray with black heads and are 1.4 mm long. The head capsule measures 0.9 mm. As the larvae mature, their skin gradually becomes pink-tinted. When full grown, they are about 9 mm long and have an anal comb. The hibernaculum in which a larva overwinters has a light gray-sliver cover. Under the cover are two more layers, which are very black, quite tough and brittle.
Pupa: The pupae are slender, yellowish brown and 6mm long.
Adult: The adults are small, grayish black moths with a wingspread of 9 to 10 mm.
Host Range
The cherry fruitworm is a pest of tart cherries, blueberries, apples and peaches. It is found in all fruit areas in Canada and the United States. It has three generations on apples in New York.
Injury or Damage
The cherry fruitworm causes its injury by boring into the fruit. The larvae bore through the epidermis shortly after they hatch. This early injury can be detected in a few days. The entrance holes made by the young larvae can be seen as small, brown trails caused by their tunneling. The larvae may feed extensively just below the surface. This will be indicated by sunken, round, brownish areas. A maturing larva may damage more than one fruit. Mature fruits are roughened, blackish and generally distorted. Larval frass may be present on the surface of the cherry. The inside of the cherry, next to the pit, is completely eaten away. The cherry fruitworm has also been found boring into the tips of young apple shoots.
Factors Affecting Abundance
