Cherry fruit moth

Grapholita packardi

1. Identification

• Common name: Cherry fruitworm
• Scientific name: Grapholita packardi Zeller
• Order: Lepidoptera
• Family: Tortricidae

2. Pest description

• Small caterpillars, initially whitish and later pinkish, with a brown head capsule.
• Small adults, greyish, with grey‑brown forewings and discreet patterns.
• Attacks mainly young fruits, penetrating inside to feed.
• Species typical of temperate regions, with relevant impact on cherry orchards.

3. Main hosts

• Cherry (Prunus avium and P. cerasus).
• Plum.
• Peach.
• Other fruit‑bearing rosaceous plants.

4. Symptoms and damage

• Perforations in the fruits, frequently near the peduncle.
• Presence of excrement and residues inside the fruit.
• Premature drop of infested fruits.
• Reduction of commercial quality and significant losses.
• Internal damage similar to that caused by moths of the genus Cydia spp..

5. Biological cycle

• Several generations per year, depending on the climatic conditions.
• Eggs laid on the surface of the fruits or on nearby leaves.
• Caterpillars penetrate the fruit quickly, where they complete much of their development.
• Pupation in the soil, in the bark of the trees or among plant debris.
• Adults emerge in spring and maintain activity until summer.

6. Monitoring

• Observation of perforations and prematurely fallen fruits.
• Regular inspection of young fruits during development.
• Yellow chromotropic traps and pheromone traps for detection and monitoring of flights.
• Assessment of the percentage of damaged fruits by direct sampling.

7. Management measures

• Cultural: collection and destruction of fallen fruits, removal of debris and cleaning of the soil under the canopy.
• Preventive: use of insect‑proof nets in small areas and synchronisation of cultural practices.
• Biological: application of Bacillus thuringiensis in early stages and promotion of natural enemies.
• Integrated protection: monitoring with pheromones, definition of intervention thresholds and judicious use of authorised insecticides.

Bibliographic references

• EPPO Global Database – Grapholita packardi.
• CABI Invasive Species Compendium – Grapholita packardi.
• Chapman, P. J., & Lienk, S. E. (1971). Tortricid pests of tree fruits.
• AliNiazee, M. T. (1986). Seasonal biology and management of tortricid moths in stone fruits.