Plum Fruit Moth

Grapholita funebrana

1. Identification

• Common name: Plum fruit moth
• Scientific name: Grapholita funebrana Treitschke
• Synonym: Cydia funebrana Treitschke
• Order: Lepidoptera
• Family: Tortricidae

2. Pest description

• Adults: Small moths (≈ 12–15 mm wingspan); forewings greyish‑brown with darker spots; hindwings brownish.
• Larvae: Pinkish to reddish‑pink body; brown head; up to 10–12 mm in length.
• Eggs: Isolated, whitish to yellowish, laid on the epidermis of young fruits or on the leaves.

3. Main hosts

• Plum tree.
• Other Prunus (apricot, peach, cherry) with lesser importance.
• More severe attacks in mid‑ and late‑maturing plum varieties.

4. Symptoms and damage

• Perforations in the fruits, generally near the peduncular zone.
• Gum exudation and presence of fruit frass on the surface.
• Internal galleries in the pulp, leading to premature fruit drop.
• Significant production losses in years of high pest pressure.

5. Biological cycle

• Winter spent as a mature larva in cocoons in the soil or in the bark of the trees.
• Adults emerge in spring, coinciding with fruit development.
• Females oviposit directly on the young fruits.
• Larvae develop inside the fruits, where they complete the larval cycle.
• 2 to 3 generations per year, depending on climatic conditions.

6. Monitoring

• Pheromone traps for detection and tracking of flights.
• Direct observation of young fruits for detection of initial perforations.
• Assessment of the level of physiological drop associated with larval attacks.
• Historical record of the holding for annual risk forecasting.

7. Management measures

• Cultural: Removal and destruction of attacked fruits; collection of fallen fruits; surface tillage of the soil to expose cocoons.
• Biological: Conservation of beneficials (parasitoids and predators of larvae and eggs).
• Integrated protection: Intervention based on pheromone monitoring; application of selective methods compatible with beneficials; synchronisation of treatments with flight peaks and larval hatching.

Bibliographic references

• EPPO Global Database – Grapholita funebrana.
• CABI Invasive Species Compendium – Grapholita funebrana.
• Alford, D. V. (2007). Pest and Disease Management Handbook.
• Trematerra, P. (1990). Biology and control of Grapholita funebrana.
• Barnes, M. M. (1991). Tortricid pests in stone fruits.