Exotic, but established
Common names: oriental fruit moth
FWLFWL:
forewing length; the distance from the base of the forewing to the apex, including fringe
: 5.0-6.5 mm
Forewings are dull grayish brown with a row of black dots near the apexapex:
the point furthest removed from the base or at the end of the costal area 
and termentermen:
the outer edge of the forewing 
. 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is obsolete. Males lack a forewing costal foldforewing costal fold:
a flap or fold at the base of the forewing that contains specialized sex scales
. Hindwings are dark brown.
Male genitalia are characterized by the absence of an uncusuncus:
a sclerotized process which is fused to the posterodorsal margin of tergum IX
and elongate valvaevalva:
an appendage flanking the intromittent organ that is used to clasp the female during copulation
with rounded cuculluscucullus:
the distal portion of the male valva
and strongly constricted neck. Female genitalia are characterized by rectangular laterallateral:
to the side
extensions of the sterigmasterigma:
the sclerotized region surrounding the female ostium bursae 
with sharply pointed posterolateralposterolateral:
towards the rear and side; posterior and lateral 
projections and two curved, thorn-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
.
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..
Last instar larvae are approximately 10-12 mm in length with a pinkish abdomen and large pale pinaculapinaculum:
flattened sclerotized plates on a caterpillar that bear the setae
. The head and prothoracic shieldprothoracic shield:
a sclerotized plate on the dorsal surface of the prothorax 
are yellowish brown. The anal shieldanal shield:
a sclerotized plate on the dorsal surface of the last abdominal segment (in larvae) 
is light brown without mottling. An anal combanal comb:
a toothed structure on the last abdominal segment used to eject frass away from the feeding larva; also termed "anal fork" 
is present with ca. 5 teeth. Early instars are assumed to be whitish with a black head and prothoracic shieldprothoracic shield:
a sclerotized plate on the dorsal surface of the prothorax .
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..
Larvae may appear similar to those of many other species of Aspila, Grapholita, and Cydia. Aspila pomonella larvae can be separated from A. molesta by the absence of an anal fork. Other species of Aspila cannot be reliably separated from A. molesta based solely on larval morphology.
Chen and Dorn (2009) provide a molecular assay to distinguish G. molesta larvae from similar species using a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis.
Adults are similar to other species of Aspila, including A. funebrana, A. libertina, A. tenebrosana, and several others. A genitalic dissection may be necessary to confirm species identity, especially if individuals are recovered from sticky traps. Males of A. funebrana can be distinguished by the thornlike projection off the ventralventral:
lower, to the bottom, on the under side
margin of the valvavalva:
an appendage flanking the intromittent organ that is used to clasp the female during copulation, which is lacking in A. molesta. Gilligan et al. (2008) provide illustrations of male and female genitalia for many common Nearctic Aspila (then Grapholita).
Synthetic pheromones are not species-specific, and A. molesta lures will attract other species of Aspila, including A. funebrana.
The following account is summarized from Dustan (1960)Dustan (1960):
Dustan, G. G. 1960. The oriental fruit moth, Grapholitha molesta (Busck) (Lepidoptera: Olethreutidae) in Ontario. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Ontario. 91: 215-227. and Rothschild & Vickers (1991).
Aspila molesta completes 3-7 annual generations; the exact number depends on temperature (latitude). In midwestern North America, adults are present from early May to late September. In southern locations, adults may be present year-round.
Females lay eggs singly on smooth surfaces of the host plant, which usually includes leaves, shoots, and twigs. Early instars tunnel into shoots or pedicels. Later instars continue feeding in shoots or tunnel into fruit. The final instar leaves the fruit or shoot and constructs a cocoon on the tree or in leaf litter. Larvae complete 4-5 instars. Overwintering occurs as a prepupa and pupation occurs in the spring for the overwintering generation.
Larval damage is characterized by dead and wilting shoots and injured fruit. Injured fruit may fall early and is more prone to secondary infection by fungus.
Aspila molesta is an important pest of stone-fruit crops throughout the world. Most economic damage occurs in peach and nectarine, or when other fruit crops are grown adjacent to peach. In addition to the Rosaceae, larvae have been recorded feeding on plants in several families.
| Host plant | Host plant family | Reference(s) |
| Cornus sp. | Cornaceae | Haeussler 1940Haeussler 1940: Haeussler, G. J. 1940. General information concerning the oriental fruit moth in Japan and Chosen. Journal of Economic Entomology. 33: 189-193. |
| Diospyros kaki | Ebenaceae | Park 1983bPark 1983b: Park, K. T. 1983b. Microlepidoptera of Korea. Insecta Koreana. 3: 8-24.; Byun et al. 1998Byun et al. 1998: Byun, B., Bae, Y., Park, K. 1998. Illustrated catalogue of Tortricidae of Korea (Lepidoptera). In : Park, K.-T. (ed.), Insects of Korea [2]. Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology amp; Center for Insect Systematics. 317 pp. |
| Hexachlamys edulis | Myrtaceae | Hayward 1941Hayward 1941: Hayward, K. J. 1941. La ldquo;polilla negrardquo; del duraznero ( Cydia molesta Busck). Estac. Exp. Agric. Tucuman Cic. 99. 10 pp. (R.A.E. 30: 277). |
| Psidium guajava | Myrtaceae | Hayward 1941Hayward 1941: Hayward, K. J. 1941. La ldquo;polilla negrardquo; del duraznero ( Cydia molesta Busck). Estac. Exp. Agric. Tucuman Cic. 99. 10 pp. (R.A.E. 30: 277).; Geertsema 1990Geertsema 1990: Geertsema, H. 1990. First record of the Oriental fruit moth, Cydia molesta (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Oleuthreutinae), a serious pest of peaches, in South Africa. Phytophylactica. 22: 355-357. |
| Chaenomeles sp. | Rosaceae | Komai 1999Komai 1999: Komai, F. 1999. A taxonomic review of the genus Grapholita and allied genera (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in the Palaearctic region. Entomologica Scandinavica Supplement 55. 226 pp. |
| Crataegus sp. | Rosaceae | Park 1983bPark 1983b: Park, K. T. 1983b. Microlepidoptera of Korea. Insecta Koreana. 3: 8-24.; Byun et al. 1998Byun et al. 1998: Byun, B., Bae, Y., Park, K. 1998. Illustrated catalogue of Tortricidae of Korea (Lepidoptera). In : Park, K.-T. (ed.), Insects of Korea [2]. Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology amp; Center for Insect Systematics. 317 pp. |
| 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.; Allen 1958Allen 1958: Allen, H. W. 1958. The Oriental fruit moth. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Information Bulletin 182. 28 pp.; Garic et al. 1990Garic et al. 1990: Garic, R., Stamenkovic, S., Canak, M. 1990. The effect of Cydia molesta on the incidence of Monilinia spp. on quince fruit. Bull. OEPP (Organ. Eur. Mediterr. Prot. Plant). 20: 603-606.; Andreev 1988Andreev 1988: Andreev, R. 1988. Fruit moths on quince. Vissh. Selskostop Inst. ldquo;Vasil Kolarovrdquo; Plovdiv. Nauchni. Tr. 33: 99-107 [In Bulgarian].; Geertsema 1990Geertsema 1990: Geertsema, H. 1990. First record of the Oriental fruit moth, Cydia molesta (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Oleuthreutinae), a serious pest of peaches, in South Africa. Phytophylactica. 22: 355-357. |
| Eriobotrya japonica | Rosaceae | Park 1983bPark 1983b: Park, K. T. 1983b. Microlepidoptera of Korea. Insecta Koreana. 3: 8-24.; Byun et al. 1998Byun et al. 1998: Byun, B., Bae, Y., Park, K. 1998. Illustrated catalogue of Tortricidae of Korea (Lepidoptera). In : Park, K.-T. (ed.), Insects of Korea [2]. Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology amp; Center for Insect Systematics. 317 pp. |
| Malus pumila | Rosaceae | Chapman & Lienk 1971; Park 1983bPark 1983b: Park, K. T. 1983b. Microlepidoptera of Korea. Insecta Koreana. 3: 8-24.; Santos-Gonzalez et al. 1998Santos-Gonzalez et al. 1998: Santos-Gonzalez, F., Vazquez, J. L., Mojica, H., Mondragon Castillo, J. J. 1998. Use of “CLIMEX” to evaluate the establishment potential of two apple exotic pest species, Grapholita molesta and Platynota idaeusalis, in Mexico. Agrociencia (Montecillo). 32: 47-52. |
| Malus sylvestris | 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. |
| 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.; Allen 1958Allen 1958: Allen, H. W. 1958. The Oriental fruit moth. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Information Bulletin 182. 28 pp.; Danilevsky & Kuznetzov 1968 |
| Photinia glabra | Rosaceae | Komai 1999Komai 1999: Komai, F. 1999. A taxonomic review of the genus Grapholita and allied genera (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in the Palaearctic region. Entomologica Scandinavica Supplement 55. 226 pp. |
| Prunus armeniaca | 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.; Allen 1958Allen 1958: Allen, H. W. 1958. The Oriental fruit moth. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Information Bulletin 182. 28 pp.; 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.; Park 1983bPark 1983b: Park, K. T. 1983b. Microlepidoptera of Korea. Insecta Koreana. 3: 8-24.; Geertsema 1990Geertsema 1990: Geertsema, H. 1990. First record of the Oriental fruit moth, Cydia molesta (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Oleuthreutinae), a serious pest of peaches, in South Africa. Phytophylactica. 22: 355-357. |
| Prunus avium | Rosaceae | Park 1983bPark 1983b: Park, K. T. 1983b. Microlepidoptera of Korea. Insecta Koreana. 3: 8-24. |
| Prunus cerasus | Rosaceae | Geertsema 1990Geertsema 1990: Geertsema, H. 1990. First record of the Oriental fruit moth, Cydia molesta (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Oleuthreutinae), a serious pest of peaches, in South Africa. Phytophylactica. 22: 355-357. |
| Prunus dulcis | Rosaceae | Hayward 1941Hayward 1941: Hayward, K. J. 1941. La ldquo;polilla negrardquo; del duraznero ( Cydia molesta Busck). Estac. Exp. Agric. Tucuman Cic. 99. 10 pp. (R.A.E. 30: 277).; Allen 1958Allen 1958: Allen, H. W. 1958. The Oriental fruit moth. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Information Bulletin 182. 28 pp.; Geertsema 1990Geertsema 1990: Geertsema, H. 1990. First record of the Oriental fruit moth, Cydia molesta (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Oleuthreutinae), a serious pest of peaches, in South Africa. Phytophylactica. 22: 355-357. |
| Prunus ilicifolia | 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.; Allen 1958Allen 1958: Allen, H. W. 1958. The Oriental fruit moth. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Information Bulletin 182. 28 pp. |
| Prunus mume | Rosaceae | Haeussler 1940Haeussler 1940: Haeussler, G. J. 1940. General information concerning the oriental fruit moth in Japan and Chosen. Journal of Economic Entomology. 33: 189-193.; Park 1983bPark 1983b: Park, K. T. 1983b. Microlepidoptera of Korea. Insecta Koreana. 3: 8-24.; Byun et al. 1998Byun et al. 1998: Byun, B., Bae, Y., Park, K. 1998. Illustrated catalogue of Tortricidae of Korea (Lepidoptera). In : Park, K.-T. (ed.), Insects of Korea [2]. Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology amp; Center for Insect Systematics. 317 pp. |
| Prunus persica | Rosaceae | Busck 1916Busck 1916: Busck, A. 1916. Descriptions of new North American Microlepidoptera. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 18: 147-154.; 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.; Allen 1958Allen 1958: Allen, H. W. 1958. The Oriental fruit moth. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Information Bulletin 182. 28 pp.; 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.; Atanov & Gummel 1985; Bouzouane et al. 1987Bouzouane et al. 1987: Bouzouane, R., Audemard, H., Aubert, S. 1987. Le role de lrsquo;olfaction dnas lrsquo;attraction excercee par les pousses et les fruit de pecher sur les larves neonees de tordeuse orientale Cydia molesta . Entomol. Exp. Appl. 45: 201-204.; Salles & Marini 1989; Geertsema 1990Geertsema 1990: Geertsema, H. 1990. First record of the Oriental fruit moth, Cydia molesta (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Oleuthreutinae), a serious pest of peaches, in South Africa. Phytophylactica. 22: 355-357.; Santos-Gonzalez et al. 1998Santos-Gonzalez et al. 1998: Santos-Gonzalez, F., Vazquez, J. L., Mojica, H., Mondragon Castillo, J. J. 1998. Use of “CLIMEX” to evaluate the establishment potential of two apple exotic pest species, Grapholita molesta and Platynota idaeusalis, in Mexico. Agrociencia (Montecillo). 32: 47-52. |
| Prunus salicina | Rosaceae | Allen 1958Allen 1958: Allen, H. W. 1958. The Oriental fruit moth. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Information Bulletin 182. 28 pp.; Park 1983bPark 1983b: Park, K. T. 1983b. Microlepidoptera of Korea. Insecta Koreana. 3: 8-24.; Byun et al. 1983 |
| Prunus serrulata var. spontanea | Rosaceae | Park 1983bPark 1983b: Park, K. T. 1983b. Microlepidoptera of Korea. Insecta Koreana. 3: 8-24. |
| Prunus |
View full screen host table here
Aspila molesta is thought to have originated in northwest China. The first North American records are from 1913-1915. It is currently widely distributed on all continents where stone-fruit is grown.
Fig. 5-6: Clemson University - USDA Cooperative Extension Slide Series, Bugwood.org
