Plum fruit moth

The plum fruit moth (Grapholita funebrana) is a destructive pest belonging to the Tortricidae family. It is considered one of the most significant threats to stone fruit production worldwide. Adult moths are small and inconspicuous, but their larvae cause severe economic damage by directly infesting the fruit.

The primary hosts of this pest include plums, damsons, and mirabelles, although it frequently attacks peaches and apricots. The larvae bore into the fruit to feed on the flesh near the pit, leaving behind frass and inducing premature ripening, which renders the fruit commercially worthless and highly susceptible to decay.

The life cycle of Grapholita funebrana is temperature-dependent, typically producing two to three generations per year in temperate climates. They overwinter as mature larvae inside cocoons, hidden within crevices of the tree bark or in the soil. Pupation occurs in early spring, followed by the emergence of the first generation of adults during the fruit-set period.

Larval activity causes visible damage, often characterized by the presence of gum exudations on the surface of the fruit where the larva has entered. Infested fruits often fall prematurely, and those that remain on the tree are frequently infected by pathogens like *Monilinia*, leading to widespread fruit rot within the orchard.

Integrated pest management (IPM) strategies are essential for effective control. These include the use of pheromone traps to time insecticide applications accurately, manual removal of fallen fruit, and the installation of tree banding. Biological controls, such as encouraging natural predators or using entomopathogenic nematodes, are also viable components of a modern orchard management program.

• Pheromone trap monitoring for peak flight
• Regular removal and destruction of infested fallen fruit
• Application of selective insecticides during egg-laying
• Use of cardboard bands on trunks for larvae trapping
• Biological control with parasitoid wasps