Moths of North Carolina
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3 NC Records

Grapholita molesta (Busck, 1916) - Oriental Fruit Moth

No image for this species.
Taxonomy
Superfamily: Tortricoidea Family: TortricidaeSubfamily: OlethreutinaeTribe: GrapholitiniP3 Number: 621305.00 MONA Number: 3426.00
Species Status: Grapholita molesta is native to China but has been introduced around the world where is a pest on commercial fruits such as peaches, nectarines, apples, plums, and cherries.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The adults are rather nondescript with dull grayish brown coloration predominating on the head, palp, antenna, thorax, and forewing. A curved line of six or so black dots or very short dashes is present in the preterminal region. These extend inward from below the inner margin in the pretornal area, then curve basally near the middle of the wing and terminate before reaching the costa at about four-fifths. The costal margin has paired whitish strigulae with alternating brown regions that extend from about one-fourth to near the apex. The fringe is grayish-brown with a darker basal line, and the hindwing is grayish-brown with a paler fringe. The dark form of Grapholita packardi is very similar to G. molesta, but is generally much smaller (3.5-5.0 mm versus 5.0-6.5 mm), and the curved line of black dots in the preterminal region of G. molesta is replaced by relatively long dashes. The males of G. packardi are also distinctive in having a large patch of sex scales on the hindwing. Examination of genitalia may be requires in some instances.
Forewing Length: 5.0-6.5 mm (Gilligan et al., 2008).
Adult Structural Features: Gilligan et al. (2008) and Gilligan and Epstein (TortAI) have images of the male and female genitalia. The latter authors note that the male genitalia are characterized by an elongate valva with a rounded cucullus, while females have rectangular lateral extensions of the sterigma with sharply pointed posterolateral projections.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable only by close inspection of structural features or by DNA analysis.
Immatures and Development: The larvae are importance commercial pests on peaches, nectarines, apples and other stone or pome fruits and can have 3-6 broods per year depending on the latitude. In temperate regions, larvae in the first and second generation typically bore into the young succulent stems and feed on internal tissues. As the stems harden seasonally, the later broods shift to feeding on fruits and feed on the fleshy tissues within (Allen and Plasket, 1958, Chapman and Lienk, 1971). The final instar leaves the fruit or stem and pupates is a sheltered place such as beneath a bark flap or in leaf litter. The pupal stage lasts only a few weeks and the adults that emerge start a new generation. Mature larvae from later broods often overwinter in tree crevices or in ground cover. They overwinter beneath a protective silk webbing, then pupate in a cocoon the following spring (Brunner and Rice, 1993). The early instars are white or cream with a black head, while the last instar larvae are approximately 10-12 mm in length with a pinkish abdomen and large pale pinacula. The head and prothoracic shield are yellowish brown, and the anal shield is light brown and lacks mottling. An anal comb is also present that has around 5 teeth (Gilligan and Epstein; TortAI).
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Grapholita molesta is native to China but has spread during the last century to temperate and subtropical regions of the world (Neven et al., 2018). It appears to have been introduced into the US in the early 1900's in the eastern US (perhaps Washington, D.C.), and has since spread throughout the eastern US, southern Canada, and California, Washington, and Oregon (Kirk et al., 2013). As of 2022, our records are limited to orchards in the western mountains.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge
Flight Comments: The adults have been found in North America from March through November, with the first brood beginning with the spring leaf-out and subsequent broods occurring through the summer and early fall. In western North Carolina there are four generations per year, with overlapping generations in the latter part of the year. The adults begin flying in late-March or early April and can be found through early October (Kovanci et al., 2004, Walgenbach, 2015).
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Local populations are typically found in or near commercial fruit orchards. They regularly occur in peach and apple orchards in North Carolina.
Larval Host Plants: Grapholita molesta is a major pest of stone and pome fruit species that are mainly members of the Rosaceae (Chapman and Lienk, 1971). The common hosts include peaches, apples, pears, nectarines, cherries, quince, and persimmons (Ebenaceae). - View
Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights and pheromone traps, and the larvae are common in apple and peach fruits and stems.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
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State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: This species is an introduced pest and is of no conservation concern.