Codling moth

Cydia pomonella

1. Identification

• Common name: Codling moth, apple moth
• Scientific name: Cydia pomonella L.
• Order: Lepidoptera
• Family: Tortricidae

2. Pest description

• Adults: Small moths (≈ 15–20 mm wingspan); greyish forewings with irregular patterns; oval coppery-brown spot at the tip of the wings.
• Larvae: Pinkish-white to reddish-pink body; brown head; up to 15–18 mm long.
• Eggs: Laid singly, whitish and translucent, deposited on the epidermis of the fruits or on the leaves.

3. Main hosts

• Apple tree.
• Pear tree.
• Walnut tree.
• Quince tree.
• Other pome and stone fruits of lesser importance.

4. Symptoms and damage

• Visible perforations in the skin of the fruits, generally with exudation of fruit frass.
• Internal galleries that reach the core, destroying the fruit.
• Premature drop of infested fruits.
• Significant production losses and commercial devaluation of the fruits.
• Facilitation of the entry of fungi and secondary microorganisms.

5. Biological cycle

• Winter spent as a mature larva in cocoons under the bark of the trees or in the soil.
• Adults emerge in spring, with prolonged flights into summer.
• Females lay eggs on the young fruits or on nearby leaves.
• Larvae quickly penetrate the fruit, where they complete their development.
• Pupation in shelters on the tree or in the soil.
• 2 to 3 generations per year, depending on weather conditions.

6. Monitoring

• Pheromone traps for detection and monitoring of flights.
• Observation of early perforations in the fruits.
• Assessment of premature fruit drop.
• Historical records of the holding for annual risk forecasting.

7. Management measures

• Cultural: Collection and destruction of fallen fruits; removal of infested fruits; cleaning of the bark to reduce overwintering sites.
• Biological: Conservation of natural enemies; use of specific granulosis virus (CpGV) in integrated protection programmes.
• Integrated protection: Intervention based on pheromone monitoring; synchronization of treatments with the start of larval hatching; use of selective methods compatible with natural enemies; rotation of active substances to avoid resistance.

Bibliographic references

• EPPO Global Database – Cydia pomonella.
• CABI Invasive Species Compendium – Cydia pomonella.
• Alford, D. V. (2007). Pest and Disease Management Handbook.
• Witzgall, P. et al. (2008). Codling moth management and chemical ecology.
• Brown, J. W. (2005). World Catalogue of Insects – Tortricidae.