NAPA COUNTY AGRICULTURAL COMMISSIONERS OFFICE

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NAPA COUNTY AGRICULTURAL COMMISSIONERS OFFICE
Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana
JUNE 2009
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NAPA COUNTY AGRICULTURAL COMMISSIONERS OFFICE

• Light Brown Apple Moth Background
• State LBAM
  Finds by 4/27/07

• Native to Australia
• Now established in New Zealand, United Kingdom,
  and Hawaii
• First discovered in U.S. in a backyard in
  Berkeley, CA during the summer of 2006, and
  confirmed in early 2007
• Spread to coastal counties from Monterey to
  Sonoma, and to all Bay Area counties
• Recently detected in Davis spreading inland?

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Trapping in Napa County
NAPA COUNTY AGRICULTURAL COMMISSIONERS OFFICE

• Trapping for LBAM began in March.
• Only 2 moths found all year May (W.
  Lincoln, City of Napa) August (So. Kelly
  Rd., near airport)
• 2008 16 moths trapped (May-December), all but 1
  in American Canyon and Carneros areas
• 2009 (January through May) 37 moths trapped,
  from American Canyon to the south side of St.
  Helena.
• County 900 detection traps
• State 600 delimitation traps

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NAPA COUNTY AGRICULTURAL COMMISSIONERS OFFICE

• Light Brown Apple Moth Trapping
• Detection (County)
• Rural 2 Traps per Square Mile
• Agricultural 5 Traps per Square Mile
• Urban 5 Traps per Square Mile

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NAPA COUNTY AGRICULTURAL COMMISSIONERS OFFICE

• Light Brown Apple Moth Trapping
• LBAM Program (State/Fed)
• Core 100 Traps per Square Mile
• Buffer 25 Traps per Square Mile
• Delimitation 25 Traps per Square Mile

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NAPA COUNTY AGRICULTURAL COMMISSIONERS OFFICE

• Light Brown Apple Moth
• Fruit and Plant Damage from Larval Feeding

LBAM is known to feed on over 2,000 species of
plants, including more than 250 crops. Feeding
damage may also allow rot organisms (fungi,
bacteria) to infect fruit.
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NAPA COUNTY AGRICULTURAL COMMISSIONERS OFFICE

• Light Brown Apple Moth Life Cycle
• Egg Mass

• Typically 20-50 eggs/mass
• Tiny eggs, difficult to detect
• Covered with greenish, transparent coating
• Laid on upper side of leaves
• Larvae emerge in 1-2 weeks

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NAPA COUNTY AGRICULTURAL COMMISSIONERS OFFICE

• Light Brown Apple Moth Life Cycle
• Larval Stage

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NAPA COUNTY AGRICULTURAL COMMISSIONERS OFFICE

• Light Brown Apple Moth Life Cycle
• Leaf Rolling

• No diapause during winter
• Can overwinter on native vegetation (including
  weeds) surrounding vineyards and on grape mummies
• May survive up to 2 months in winter without
  eating
• May feed on buds, which may fail to develop
  further
• In spring, larvae move to shoot tips and form
  nests by webbing together developing leaves
• May enter fruit clusters as early as bloomtime
  and feed on developing berries

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NAPA COUNTY AGRICULTURAL COMMISSIONERS OFFICE

• Light Brown Apple Moth Life Cycle

Larvae are usually pale to medium green with a
tan head, but color may vary depending on food
source. Mature size ranges from ½ - ¾ inch.
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NAPA COUNTY AGRICULTURAL COMMISSIONERS OFFICE

• Light Brown Apple Moth Life Cycle
• Pupal Stage

Adults emerge from pupal stage after 1-3 weeks
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NAPA COUNTY AGRICULTURAL COMMISSIONERS OFFICE

• Light Brown Apple Moth Life Cycle
• Adults

• At rest, wings held in bell shape over body
  (like other Tortricids)
• Approx. ? inch (8 mm) long
• Considerable variation in wing color and pattern
• Costal fold and feathered edge on males dark
  spot on wings of female
• 2-4 generations per year
• Life span several weeks

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NAPA COUNTY AGRICULTURAL COMMISSIONERS OFFICE

• Light Brown Apple Moth
• Distinctive Costal Fold and Feathered Edge in Male

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NAPA COUNTY AGRICULTURAL COMMISSIONERS OFFICE

• Light Brown Apple Moth
• Adult Wing Pattern Variation

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Look-alike Moths
Orange Tortrix
Garden Tortrix
Omnivorous Leafroller
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NAPA COUNTY AGRICULTURAL COMMISSIONERS OFFICE

• Light Brown
• Apple Moth
• Quarantine
• Boundaries
• in Northern
• California

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NAPA COUNTY AGRICULTURAL COMMISSIONERS OFFICE

• Current
• Napa-
• Sonoma-
• Solano
• Quarantine
• Areas
• (subject to
• change!)