Eyespotted Bud Moth – Spilonota ocellana

Eyespotted Bud Moth – Spilonota ocellana Common Name: Eyespotted Bud Moth Latin Name: Spilonota ocellana Appearance: Egg The egg is oval, compacted, and translucent, creamy white. Larva The body is dark chocolate brown, while the head and thoracic shield are lustrous dark brown to black. When fully developed, the larva is 3/4 to 1 inch (18 to 25 mm) in length. Pupa The pupa is golden brown and resembles a leafroller pupa. Adult: The adult moth has big grey and white patches on its wings. When at rest, it has a broad white band across the middle of the wing, with grey on the front and back. Host plant: The eyespotted bud moth feeds on apples, pear, stone fruits, and deciduous trees such as hawthorn, oak, beech, larch, and alder. It favours rosaceous plants. Territory: Eyespotted Bud Moths are found throughout the northern United States and southern Canada. Damages caused by Eyespotted Bud Moth: Larvae feeding on buds and blooms in early spring is a concern once numbers are extremely high. The importance of larval feeding on fruit cannot be overstated. Mature larvae eating on fruit shortly after bloom causes damage comparable to that caused by early-season leafroller feeding. Larvae can cause substantial damage to developing branches in young trees or nursery stock. These digs resemble the damage caused by immature leafroller larvae in the middle of July. Life history and Habits: Adult moths are grey and resemble codling moths but smaller, with a white stripe around the midsection. Two generations each year have been seen in California. Overwintering generation adults arrive in May and deposit eggs, which hatch in late June and July. Throughout the summer, larvae feed on leaves and the surface of fruits. Adults of the summer generation appear between September and October. The larvae generated by the summer generation are thought to overwinter in hibernacula. These larvae emerge in late winter, pupate in the spring, and mature in May.