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LIGHTBROWN APPLE MOTH



Mature caterpillars are pale green with a darker green central stripe
Mature caterpillars are pale green with a darker green central stripe
Photo credit: Greg Baker
Look For Look For Notes

   LOOK FOR


    Look for in leaves
  • Egg masses on the upper surface of fully expanded leaves
  • Egg masses during the week before, and young caterpillars immediately after, a predicted egg hatch
  • Egg masses and small caterpillars every 7-14 days from budburst, if there is no alert system for LBAM activity in your district
  • Tiny, pale yellow caterpillars inside shoot tips, in leafrolls, at flowering or in young bunches, and on the underside of mature leaves

   CONDITIONS

  • Favours cool climates, lush growth and cool summers
  • Females lay most of their eggs two or three times a season, during and just after peak flights.
  • Freshly laid egg masses are green, become yellow and turn yellow-brown with a small black dot in the centre when ready to hatch.
  • Eggs hatch within 7-21 days, depending on termperature - the warmer it is the quicker they develop.
  • Caterpillars hide in webbing in leaf rolls or bunches. When disturbed, they wriggle backwards quickly and may hang by a thread.
  • Tight-bunched varieties such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc are most susceptible to LBAM.

   NOTES

    **Parasitised LBAM eggs turn black
    **Egg hatch may occur over a number of weeks
    **Empty egg masses may indicate a recent hatch, but they can stay on leaves for some time
    **Monitor to find newly hatched caterpillars because large caterpillars are difficult to control
    **Monitor after spraying to look for surviving caterpillars inside shoot tips and on the underside of the first four or five leaves (on five shoots per panel)

OTHER LIGHTBROWN APPLE MOTH IMAGES

Freshly laid egg masses have 20-50 blue-green eggs laid in a scale-like pattern A freshly laid egg mass (10-15 mm) looks like a drop of copper spray Hand lens view: Yellow eggs with a black dot are ready to hatch Hand lens view: After hatching, the egg mass is silvery or clear LBAM eggs parasitised by a Trichogramma wasp turn black Caterpillars hatch and then roll and web leaves or bunches together with silk Third-instar LBAM caterpillar feeding on flower-buds of a bunch pre-flowering Summer-generation LBAM caterpillar feeding on maturing bunch Hand lens view: Mature LBAM caterpillars eat flowers and young bunches Caterpillars increase in size through six instars, from 1 to 17 mm Pupae on LBAM (10 mm long) Female (left) and male (right) LBAM moths (10 mm long) Freshly laid egg mass

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