GREEN/SPECKLED GREEN FRUITWORM

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Title: GREEN/SPECKLED GREEN FRUITWORM
Description: LATIN NAME: Lithophane georgii (Girton) Orthosia hibisci (Guenee) LIFE CYCLE: The green fruitworm overwinters as a moth. Eggs are laid late February/early May. Larvae feed May to mid-June. The speckled green fruitworm life cycle is similar except it overwinters as pupae in the soil. Both have only one generation per year. MONITORING: Inspect flower clusters for young larvae and fruitlets for older larvae and/or feeding damage. Pheromones are available to monitor speckled green fruitworm moths. HOSTS: Fruit trees, other deciduous trees and shrubs. COMMENTS: Fruitworm larvae can be confused with leafroller and Bruce spanworm larvae. Fruitworms characteristically curl up when handled, unlike leafrollers that wriggle backwards. The latter have black or brown heads; fruitworms have green heads. Fruitworms move in a typical caterpillar creeping motion whereas spanworms move in a looping motion. Fruitworms have five pairs of prolegs (fleshy abdominal legs) whereas spanworms have only two pairs. Fruit damage by fruitworms and leafrollers is often very similar in appearance. BODY LENGTH: Adult - 16.0 mm; Mature larva - 25.0-35.0 mm.