Cherry blossom moth

Argyresthia pruniella

1. Identification

• Common name: Cherry blossom moth
• Scientific name: Argyresthia pruniella Clerck
• Order: Lepidoptera
• Family: Argyresthiidae

2. Pest description

• Small caterpillars, whitish to yellowish, which feed on flower buds, flowers and young leaves.
• Very small adults, with narrow wings, white to brownish, with discreet patterns.
• Attacks mainly cherry and other rosaceous plants.
• Species common in temperate orchards and natural hedgerows.

3. Main hosts

• Sweet cherry.
• Sour cherry.
• Plum.
• Blackthorn.
• Other shrubby and arboreal rosaceous plants.

4. Symptoms and damage

• Perforations in flower buds.
• Flowers destroyed internally before opening.
• Young leaves rolled or partially consumed.
• Reduction of flowering and fruiting.
• More severe damage in years of high population density.

5. Biological cycle

• One generation per year.
• Eggs laid on the bark or near the flower buds in late summer.
• Caterpillars hatch in spring and feed on flower buds and young leaves.
• Pupation in silky cocoons on the bark or in cracks of the tree.
• Adults emerge in summer, with flight peaks between June and August.

6. Monitoring

• Observation of perforated or destroyed flower buds.
• Inspection of young leaves rolled or partially consumed.
• Light traps for detection of adults.
• Assessment of the percentage of affected flower buds before flowering.

7. Management measures

• Cultural: removal of infested branches, cleaning of nearby hedgerows and elimination of alternative hosts.
• Preventive: pruning that favours air circulation and reduces favourable micro‑habitats.
• Biological: conservation of natural parasitoids of larvae and pupae.
• Integrated protection: regular monitoring, intervention thresholds and judicious application of authorised insecticides when necessary.

Bibliographic references

• EPPO Global Database – Argyresthia pruniella.
• CABI Invasive Species Compendium – Argyresthia pruniella.
• Alford, D. V. (2014). Pests of Fruit Crops: A Colour Handbook. CRC Press.
• Brown, J. W., et al. (2008). Systematics and biology of Argyresthiidae. Zootaxa, 1818, 1–28.