Type

Exotic, but established

Taxonomy

Cydia pomonella (Linnaeus) (Tortricidae: Olethreutinae: Grapholitini)

Common names: codling moth

Synonyms: aeneana (Tortrix), glaphyrana (Carpocapsa splendana ab.), pomana (Pyralis), pomonana (Tortrix)

Subspecies: simpsonii (Idaho)

Note: Cydia pomonella is often referred to as Carpocapsa pomonella and Laspeyresia pomonella in older literature. The correct generic name is Cydia; refer to Brown (2006)Brown (2006):
Brown, J. W. 2006. Scientific names of pest species in Tortricidae (Lepidoptera) frequently cited erroneously in the entomological literature. American Entomologist. 52: 182-189. for more information.

Adult Recognition

FWLFWL:
forewing length; the distance from the base of the forewing to the apex, including fringe
: 6.5-11.0 mm

Forewings are gray with silvery striations. The ocellusocellus:
forewing pattern element - an ovoid region anterior to the tornus; adult head - a simple insect "eye" located dorsal to the compound eye
is dark purplish brown and is edged with metallic gold or copper scales. Hindwings are grayish brown and males have a fold along the base of the cubital vein that contains a hair pencil with long black sex scales.

Male genitalia are characterized by the absence of an uncusuncus:
a sclerotized process which is fused to the posterodorsal margin of tergum IX
, a ventrally projecting spur at the base of the cuculluscucullus:
the distal portion of the male valva
, and a large basal cavity in the valvavalva:
an appendage flanking the intromittent organ that is used to clasp the female during copulation
. Female genitalia are characterized by a short, sclerotizedsclerotized:
hardened; usually in reference to larval structures or adult genitalia
ductus bursaeductus bursae:
a membranous tube connecting the ostium bursae to the corpus bursae
and two tack-like signasignum:
a sclerotized projection or patch on the interior of the corpus bursae
in the corpus bursaecorpus bursae:
a dilated membranous sac at the anterior end of the bursa copulatrix
. 

Larval Morphology

The following account is summarized from MacKay (1959)MacKay (1959):
MacKay, M. R. 1959. Larvae of the North American Olethreutidae (Lepidoptera). Canadian Entomologist, Supplement 10: 1-338..

Mature larva 15-19 mm in length; width of head 1.7 mm on average; head yellowish brown, mottledmottled:
having spots or blotches of color
or unmarked; prothoracic shieldprothoracic shield:
a sclerotized plate on the dorsal surface of the prothorax
and anal shieldanal shield:
a sclerotized plate on the dorsal surface of the last abdominal segment (in larvae)
yellowish brown with distinct mottling; legs light brown; body whitish or pale yellow with moderately large pinaculapinaculum:
flattened sclerotized plates on a caterpillar that bear the setae
; anal fork is absent; SV group on A1, 2, 7, 8, 9 usually 3:3:2:2:1 but highly variable.

Detailed figures of larval chaetotaxychaetotaxy:
the arrangement of setae (in reference to Lepidoptera larvae), often depicted on a "setal map"
are available in MacKay (1959)MacKay (1959):
MacKay, M. R. 1959. Larvae of the North American Olethreutidae (Lepidoptera). Canadian Entomologist, Supplement 10: 1-338..

Similar Species

Adults may appear similar to dark individuals of Cydia splendana. Cydia pomonella can be separated from C. splendana by the metallic scales surrounding the ocellusocellus:
forewing pattern element - an ovoid region anterior to the tornus; adult head - a simple insect "eye" located dorsal to the compound eye
and the hair pencil on the male hindwing. A genitalic dissection can be used to confirm identity.

Larvae may appear similar to those of other Grapholitini, especially other Cydia and Grapholita. Cydia pomonella can be separated from most Grapholita by the absence of an anal fork. Larvae of Cydia splendana are similar but lack the mottling on the prothoracic and anal shields. Molecular diagnoses may be necessary to positively identify some individuals or early instars.

Biology

The following account is summarized from Audemard (1991) and Barnes (1991)Barnes (1991):
Barnes, M. M. 1991. Codling moth occurance, host race formation, and damage, pp. 313-327. In : van der Geest, L. P. S., Evenhuis, H. H. (eds.), Tortricid Pests: Their Biology, Natural Enemies, and Control. World Crop Pests, Vol. 5. Elsevier, Amsterdam..

Cydia pomonella completes 2-4 generations per year. In North America, adults are present in many locations from April through September.

Females lay eggs singly on fruits, stems, or leaves of the host. Larvae tunnel into fruit to feed on the seeds. Larval damage to fruit is characterized by entry and exit holes, rot that surrounds larval feeding areas, and frass accumulation. Mature larvae exit the fruit and create a cocoon under tree bark or in leaf litter; overwintering occurs as a prepupa.

Cydia pomonella is the most widely distributed and important pest of apple, pear, and walnuts in the world. Other larval hosts include almond, apricot, fig, macadamia, nectarine, peach, plum, prune, and quince. Wearing et al. (2001) provided evidence that sweet cherry (Prunus avium) is not a larval host. Larvae were intercepted on Citrus in 2009, confirming Rutaceae as a larval host.

Host plant	Host plant family	Reference(s)
Canavalia ensiformis	Fabaceae	San Martín-Romero et al. 2020San Martín-Romero et al. 2020: San Martín-Romero, E., Martinez-Rosas, R., Espinosa-Mendoza, M., Landa-Cadena, G., Morales-Báez, M., Salinas-Castro, A. 2020. Complejo de perforadores: Ecdytolopha fabivora (Meyrick), Cydia deshaisiana (Lucas) y Cydia pomonella (L.) en cultivo de frijol criollo (Phaseolus lunatus L.) y canavalia (Canavalia ensiformis L.) en Mexico. Revista de la Sociedad Entomológica Argentina. 79(1): 13-20 [in Spanish].
Castanea sativa	Fagaceae	Bradley et al. 1979Bradley et al. 1979: Bradley, J. D., Tremewan, W. G., Smith, A. 1979. British Tortricoid Moths, Tortricidae: Olethreutinae. The Ray Society, London. 336 pp.
Juglans regia	Juglandaceae	Bradley et al. 1979Bradley et al. 1979: Bradley, J. D., Tremewan, W. G., Smith, A. 1979. British Tortricoid Moths, Tortricidae: Olethreutinae. The Ray Society, London. 336 pp.
Juglans sp.	Juglandaceae	Heinrich 1926Heinrich 1926: Heinrich, C. 1926. Revision of the North American moths of the subfamilies Laspeyresiinae and Olethreutinae. Bulletin of the United States National Museum. 132: 1-216.; Vail et al. 1993Vail et al. 1993: Vail, P. V., Tebbets, J. S., Curtis, C. E., Jenner, K. E. 1993. Infestation rates and biological observations after harvest of codling moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in stored in-shell walnuts. Journal of Economic Entomology. 86: 1761-1765.; Sevumian & Aslanian 1988
Ficus carica	Moraceae	Bradley et al. 1979Bradley et al. 1979: Bradley, J. D., Tremewan, W. G., Smith, A. 1979. British Tortricoid Moths, Tortricidae: Olethreutinae. The Ray Society, London. 336 pp.
Macadamia sp.	Proteaceae	Atkins 2006Atkins 2006: Atkins, E.L. 2006. Macadamia moth pests in California: known and potential [Reprint from CMS 1963]. http://www.coopersnuthouse.com/maclib/MacadamiaMothPestsCalifornia.htm (accessed July 2006).
[unspecified]	Rosaceae	MacKay 1959MacKay 1959: MacKay, M. R. 1959. Larvae of the North American Olethreutidae (Lepidoptera). Canadian Entomologist, Supplement 10: 1-338.
Cydonia oblonga	Rosaceae	Heinrich 1926Heinrich 1926: Heinrich, C. 1926. Revision of the North American moths of the subfamilies Laspeyresiinae and Olethreutinae. Bulletin of the United States National Museum. 132: 1-216.; Bradley et al. 1979Bradley et al. 1979: Bradley, J. D., Tremewan, W. G., Smith, A. 1979. British Tortricoid Moths, Tortricidae: Olethreutinae. The Ray Society, London. 336 pp.; Andreev 1988Andreev 1988: Andreev, R. 1988. Fruit moths on quince. Vissh. Selskostop Inst. ldquo;Vasil Kolarovrdquo; Plovdiv. Nauchni. Tr. 33: 99-107 [In Bulgarian].
Malus domestica	Rosaceae	McQuillan 1992McQuillan 1992: McQuillan, P. B. 1992. A checklist of the Tasmanian tortricid moths (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) and their host-plant relationships. Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania. 126: 77-89.; Landolt et al. 1998Landolt et al. 1998: Landolt, P. J., Hofstetter, W., Chapman, P. S. 1998. Neonate codling moth larvae (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) orient anemotactically to odor of immature apple fruit. Pan-Pacific Entomologist. 74: 140-149.
Malus pumila	Rosaceae	Chapman & Lienk 1971; Espelie & Brown 1990Brown 1990: Brown, J. W. 1990. Description of a new genus in the Chlidanotini and review of phylogenetic relationships among chlidanotine tribes (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Chlidanotinae). Entomologica Scandinavica. 20: 439-448.
Malus sylvestris	Rosaceae	Chapman & Lienk 1971; Bradley et al. 1979Bradley et al. 1979: Bradley, J. D., Tremewan, W. G., Smith, A. 1979. British Tortricoid Moths, Tortricidae: Olethreutinae. The Ray Society, London. 336 pp.
Malus sp.	Rosaceae	Heinrich 1926Heinrich 1926: Heinrich, C. 1926. Revision of the North American moths of the subfamilies Laspeyresiinae and Olethreutinae. Bulletin of the United States National Museum. 132: 1-216.; Schaffner 1959Schaffner 1959: Schaffner, J. V. 1959. Microlepidoptera and their parasites reared from field collections in the northeastern United States. USDA, Misc. Publ. 767. 97 pp.; Martinet & Speich 1997; Mani et al. 1997Mani et al. 1997: Mani, E., Wildbolz, T., Riggenbach, W., Staub, H. 1997. Population dynamics of codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.), in undisturbed apple orchards of eastern Switzerland. Mittleilunger der Schweizerischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft. 70: 117-132.; Re et al. 1998Re et al. 1998: Re, G., Alma, A., Arzone, A. 1998. Investigation on egg parasitoids of Cydia pomonella (Linnaeus) in IPM orchards in north-western Italy. Mitt. Biol. Bund. Land- Forest. Berlin-Dahlem. 356: 53-57.; Rock et al. 1993Rock et al. 1993: Rock, C. G., Stinner, R. E., Bacheler, J. E., Hull, L. A., Hogmire, H. W. 1993. Predicting geographical and within-season variation in male flights of four fruit pests. Environmental Entomology. 22: 716-725.; Bloem et al. 1999Bloem et al. 1999: Bloem, S., Bloem, K. A., Carpenter, J. E., Calkins, C. O. 1999. Inherited sterility in codling moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae): effect of substerilizing doses of radiation on insect fecundity, fertility, and control. Annals of the Entomologicl Society of America. 92: 222-229.
Prunus persica	Rosaceae	Bradley et al. 1979Bradley et al. 1979: Bradley, J. D., Tremewan, W. G., Smith, A. 1979. British Tortricoid Moths, Tortricidae: Olethreutinae. The Ray Society, London. 336 pp.
Prunus sp.	Rosaceae	Bradley et al. 1979Bradley et al. 1979: Bradley, J. D., Tremewan, W. G., Smith, A. 1979. British Tortricoid Moths, Tortricidae: Olethreutinae. The Ray Society, London. 336 pp.; Blomefield 1989Blomefield 1989: Blomefield, T. L. 1989. Economic importance of the false codling moth, Cryptophlebia leucotreta , and codling moth, Cydia pomonella , on peaches, nectarines and plums. Phytophylactica 21: 435-436.; Powell 2006Powell 2006: Powell, J. A. 2006. Database of Lepidoptera rearing lots, 1960-2005. University of California Berkeley, CA.
Pyrus communis	Rosaceae	MacKay 1959MacKay 1959: MacKay, M. R. 1959. Larvae of the North American Olethreutidae (Lepidoptera). Canadian Entomologist, Supplement 10: 1-338.; Putman 1963Putman 1963: Putman, W. L. 1963. The codling moth, Carpocapsa pomonella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae): a review with special reference to Ontario. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Ontario. 93: 22-60.; Ezzat & Nazmi 1970; Pinhey 1975Pinhey 1975: Pinhey, E. C. G. 1975. Moths of southern Africa: descriptions and colour illustrations of 1183 species. Tafelberg. 273 pp.
Pyrus sp.	Rosaceae	Heinrich 1926Heinrich 1926: Heinrich, C. 1926. Revision of the North American moths of the subfamilies Laspeyresiinae and Olethreutinae. Bulletin of the United States National Museum. 132: 1-216.
Sorbus aria Crantz	Rosaceae	Bradley et al. 1979Bradley et al. 1979: Bradley, J. D., Tremewan, W. G., Smith, A. 1979. British Tortricoid Moths, Tortricidae: Olethreutinae. The Ray Society, London. 336 pp.
Citrus sp.	Rutaceae	Prithoda 1976Prithoda 1976: Prithoda, A. 1976. [Orange worms]. Ziva. 24(2): 65 [In Czechoslovakian].

Host plant table (embedded)

View full screen host table here

Distribution

Cydia pomonella is found in nearly all temperate pome fruit-growing regions of the world. It is notably absent from Japan and Korea. 

Photo Credits

Figs. 6-12: Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org

Links

Additional photos and a distribution map of this species in North America are available at Moth Photographers Group.