Cherry clearwing moth

The Cherry clearwing moth (Synanthedon stomoxyformis) is a moth belonging to the order Lepidoptera and the family Sesiidae. These insects are remarkable mimics, often resembling wasps in appearance, which provides them with a survival advantage in the wild.

This pest primarily targets stone fruit trees, with a strong preference for cherry, sour cherry, and sometimes apricot or plum trees. The larvae are wood-boring, spending their entire development phase beneath the bark or deep within the trunks and branches of the host trees.

Regarding its biology and life cycle, the species typically has one generation per year. Larvae overwinter inside the wood galleries they have excavated. As temperatures rise in spring, they complete their feeding, pupate, and emerge as adults in early to mid-summer, ready to mate and deposit eggs on the bark.

The primary damage is caused by larvae boring into the cambium and xylem layers, which disrupts the transport of nutrients and water. Typical symptoms include excessive gummosis (oozing of sap) on the bark surface, stunted shoot growth, chlorosis, and the eventual dieback of branches or the entire tree if the infestation is severe.

Effective management strategies include the following steps:

• Pruning and destroying heavily infested branches to reduce local pest populations.
• Maintaining tree health through proper irrigation and fertilization.
• Applying trunk paint or whitewash to deter egg-laying by female moths.
• Utilizing pheromone traps for monitoring and mass trapping of male adults.
• Using targeted insecticide treatments if the economic threshold is exceeded during the flight period.