Manchurian fruit moth

Grapholita inopinata

1. Identification

• Common name: Manchurian fruit moth
• Scientific name: Grapholita inopinata Heinrich
• Order: Lepidoptera
• Family: Tortricidae

2. Pest description

• Whitish to pinkish caterpillars, which develop inside the fruits.
• Small adults, with brownish forewings and discreet patterns.
• Attacks mainly pome fruits, especially apple.
• Species of cold temperate climate, with greater incidence in Asia and eastern Russia.

3. Main hosts

• Apple.
• Pear.
• Espécies silvestres de Malus e Pyrus.
• Other stone fruits and berries on a smaller scale.

4. Symptoms and damage

• Perforations in the fruits.
• Internal galleries with residues and excrement.
• Premature fruit drop.
• Loss of commercial quality and risk of secondary rots.
• Damage similar to that caused by other fruit moths (e.g.: Cydia pomonella).

5. Biological cycle

• One generation per year in most regions.
• Eggs laid on the surface of the fruits or nearby leaves.
• Caterpillars penetrate the fruit quickly, where they complete their development.
• Pupation in the soil or in cracks of the bark.
• Adults emerge in summer, with flight peaks between June and August.

6. Monitoring

• Observation of perforated fruits and fruits with internal galleries.
• Opening of suspect fruits for detection of caterpillars.
• Pheromone traps for detection of flights.
• Assessment of the percentage of attacked fruits throughout the crop cycle.

7. Management measures

• Cultural: removal of infested fruits, destruction of crop residues and tillage of the soil to expose pupae.
• Preventive: reduction of canopy density, improvement of air circulation and elimination of nearby wild hosts.
• Biological: conservation of natural parasitoids.
• Integrated protection: regular monitoring, intervention thresholds and judicious application of authorised insecticides.

Bibliographic references

• EPPO Global Database – Grapholita inopinata.
• CABI Invasive Species Compendium – Grapholita inopinata.
• Akulov, E. N., et al. (2023). Western range limit and flight dynamics of Grapholita inopinata in Russia. Life, 15, 521.
• Kovalenko, M. G., et al. (2019). Biology and distribution of Grapholita inopinata in Eastern Asia. Entomological Review, 99, 120–130.