Eastern fruit moth: the more dangerous, the description, the photo and the measures of struggle

Gardeners are seriously concerned: there is a threat of losing fruit trees. And the fault of this is the eastern moth. Why is this harmless butterfly dangerous? The main danger consists not only in the fact that this insect is able to make devastating raids on the gardens, but also because it is extremely prolific and can spread very quickly. Therefore, in order to save not the remnants of the crop or to remain altogether without anything, it is necessary to prepare in advance for the fight against the pernicious butterfly. And for this you need to know her way of life, the features of reproduction, the measures to combat it and ways to protect her. About all this - further.

Description

The eastern moth, which because of its special love for peaches is called peach, is not very large: the wingspan is about 1.1-1.5 cm. On the front wings of the gray-brown color there are mother-of-pearl strokes, and on the back, Brown wings of such decorations do not. On the edges of both pairs of wings there is a grayish-white fringe. The difference between females and males is the body size: females are somewhat longer.

Caterpillars of the pest reach a length of 0.9-1.1 cm. At the first stage of growth, their body is white, and the head is black. As they grow older, the caterpillars change their body color to red, and their heads to brown.

Features of reproduction

Winter caterpillars experience in cocoons, from which in the beginning spring are selected. When blossom stone fruit trees, butterflies begin to age. A little later, when the fruits begin to ripen, butterflies will lay eggs. They choose for this leaves, shoots and necessarily fruits. Each individual can lay off from hundreds to two hundred eggs. After 5-10 days of their hatching larvae.

Having originated, through the upper buds caterpillars penetrate into the young shoots. Then they gnaw out the outlet, which is used to move to the next shoot. The ability to eat inside the shoot is inherent only in the eastern moth, which is different from other similar pests.

Damaged branches begin to fade and subsequently wither. Those larvae of the eastern moth, which fell on the fruit, bite into the flesh, not hardened bones and seeds. And on one, for example, a peach, they can be up to 10 pieces.

After the feeding of the caterpillars is completed, they begin pupating, choosing for this damaged shoots, fruits or any other shelter in the tree crown. After a short period of time butterflies appear from the pupae. In just one season an adult butterfly can give 4-6 generations. And by the middle of the season the first generation already lays eggs, so you can meet all the stages of a harmful insect at the same time.

At a time when the moth starts to multiply, it can destroy completely the entire crop of peaches, and quinces and pears - by 70-75%.

Habitat

Although the birthplace of the butterfly - the eastern part of Asia, in particular China, Korea, Japan, today it can be found on almost all continents of the planet, with the exception of Antarctica. How could an insect overcome such distances? And it moved not by its own strength, but with the help of a man: during the transportation of cuttings, seedlings and fruits around the world, along with them, almost invisible larvae and eggs of the harmful butterfly were transported. Now everywhere, where quince, pear, peach, apple tree grow and bear fruit, the oriental moth appears. A photo on the web showing the various fruits infected by insects of this species is confirmed by the fact of its spread on all continents.

Signs of infection

Basically, the eastern moth lives on a peach, but other fruit trees are also infected:

1. The loquat.
2. Almond.
3. Apple tree.
4. Apricot.
5. Cherries.
6. Plum.
7. Cherry.

It is not difficult to notice the appearance of a butterfly: in places where the pest penetrates the fruit, gum appears, and the passages under the bark are clearly visible. Caterpillars damage the fruit that has begun to fry; they, after not having ripened, are showered from the tree. And those fruits that remained on the tree are already usually infected and quickly lose their marketable appearance, because of what they are culled and not allowed to be sold.

Preventive measures

A large effect can have a normal prophylaxis. Of course, it will be effective at the first stages of infection, when the eastern moth only started to occupy the garden. What should I do to prevent a profuse infection? The following measures have an excellent effect:

1. Removal of dead cortex from large branches and boles. If this is not done, then a huge number of caterpillars will remain under the bark, in cracks, and then the next year it will be very difficult to fight the pest.
2. Destruction of plant residues, including fallow deer. And you need to collect the fallen fruits every night and at night not to leave: at night caterpillars are selected from the carrion to move to a tree. Therefore, the crumbling fruits must either be destroyed or buried very deeply, at least 0.5 m.
3. Disinfection of containers.
4. Dumping of soil in autumn, spring and summer, when the eastern moth is in the pupal stage. And digging is necessary not only around tree trunks, but also between rows. Such a measure will significantly reduce the number of harmful insects on the site.
5. Regular cutting and burning of damaged shoots.

In addition, you need to arrange baits in the crowns to attract butterflies. And also impregnated with hlorofos hunters belts from corrugated paper, burlap or other materials on the supports and stems of trees to catch the caterpillars, which, after getting out of the crumbling fruit, look for a place for pupation or nutrition.

Biological methods

There are many natural remedies that the oriental moth does not like. Measures to combat them require time and labor, but the destruction of such a serious enemy of any garden is worth it.

The following methods proved to be the best ones:

1. Manufacturing of pheromone traps. Attracted by their smell, male moth flies and sticks to the trap.
2. Use of egg-eating trichogram during mass egg-laying. The so-called fletcher enemies are called parasites on her eggs.
3. Sprinkling of the trees 2 weeks after flowering. For this it is necessary to use infusions and decoctions of wormwood. The treatment should be repeated 2-4 times. The interval between treatments is 5 days.
4. 3 weeks after the flowering period is over, spray trees with a special preparation. Such are "Sumialph", "Rolovikurt", "Intavir", "Deltatsid" and others. In a couple of weeks, you need to re-process, and a month later - the third.

Treatment with chemical preparations

Various chemicals are used when the insect multiplied so abundantly that other ways of fighting proved powerless. What is the eastern moth afraid of? What is dangerous for a person to treat the garden with chemicals? That people or animals are not harmed, it is necessary to adhere to the instructions and recommendations of specialists without fail. And the very first thing you need to know and observe: in any case not to cultivate the garden during flowering or during harvesting.

It is best to use the following preparations to destroy the pest (the norms are based on 10 liters of water):

1. "Trichloro-metaphos-3" - 60 g of a 10-percent preparation.
2. Rovikurt - 10 g.
3. "Chlorophos" - 20 g;
4. "Carbophos" - 60 g;
5. "Chlorophos benzophosphate" - 60 g.

For each fruitful mature tree, you need to use 10 liters of solution, enough for a young plant and two liters. During the treatment, all other plants should be covered with a film.

conclusions

The Eastern moth is a quarantine insect. All seedlings, cuttings and fruits that are imported into Russia, exported from it or moved around the country, must be checked by the state quarantine inspection. If even the slightest signs of insect infestation of any kind of products are found, it will be subject to disinfection, and in too severe cases - to destruction.

Thanks to this, it is possible to localize the foci of infection and partially prevent the spread of the pest. This serves as proof that, despite the insidiousness of the table of a dangerous enemy, it is possible to fight against it, and moreover very successfully. The main thing is not to hesitate and not to drop your hands, and then from the most difficult situation you can find an outlet and protect your garden and harvest.