Strawberry leafroller

The strawberry leafroller (Ancylis comptana) is a moth species belonging to the family Tortricidae in the order Lepidoptera. It is a well-known pest that causes significant damage to berry plantations by feeding on the foliage of various host plants.

The primary host for this insect is the cultivated strawberry. However, it can also infest raspberry, blackberry, and other species within the Rosaceae family. Because it is highly adaptable, it can thrive in diverse environments, from small garden plots to large commercial fields.

The life cycle typically consists of two to three generations per year. The larvae overwinter in rolled or folded leaves, often protected by silk webbing. As temperatures rise in spring, the larvae resume feeding, grow rapidly, and pupate within their leaf shelters before emerging as adults.

Damage is characterized by folded or rolled leaflets tied together with fine silken threads. Inside these structures, larvae feed on the leaf tissue, causing the leaves to turn brown and necrotic. High infestation levels severely limit the plant's photosynthetic capacity, which directly results in reduced berry production.

Effective management requires an integrated approach. Cultural practices include removing crop debris after harvest and mowing the foliage to eliminate overwintering sites. Chemical control should be timed to hit the larvae when they are in their early stages of development, before they have successfully built their protective leaf rolls.

• Monitoring adult activity using pheromone traps
• Promoting natural predators and parasitoids in the garden
• Applying registered insecticides during the peak larval emergence phase