light brown apple moth Epiphyaspostvittana (Walker)
Origin
Epiphyas postvittana is native to Australia.
Life Cycle
Adults mate soon after emergence, and are nocturnal. Females begin to lay eggs, 2 or 3 days after emergence, and continue to lay eggs for about 21 days. A female usually lays between 120 and 500 eggs, but is capable of producing up to 1500 eggs. The life span of an adult LBAM is between 2 and 3 weeks, depending on temperature and host plant availability. Major flight periods occur during September-October, December-January, February-March, and April-May. Females release sex pheromones to attract males. Eggs are white to light green and are laid slightly overlapping each other. Egg masses contain 2 to 170 eggs and are laid on leaves, young stems or fruit. As eggs mature they turn paler yellow-green. It takes an egg between 5 and more than 30 days to hatch depending on temperature.
Distribution
Epiphyas postvittana, LBAM has been under an eradication program to prevent pest establishment and further dispersal. Currently, LBAM has been found from Los Angeles to north of San Francisco, in the following counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Los Angeles, Marin, Monterey, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and Solano.
Control Efforts
As Epiphyas postvittana, LBAM has only been detected in California and Hawaii, it is considered to be of limited distribution. Regulatory agencies are utilizing pheromone-based traps to survey for LBAM. Detection of LBAM will potentially result in state and/or federal regulatory action, as this pest is considered to be of high-risk concern to major agricultural commodities as well as possibly some native hosts. Regulatory-based questions concerning LBAM should be directed to your state department of agriculture.