Blackheaded Fireworm – Holly Bud Moth – Rhopobota naevana

Blackheaded Fireworm   Scientific Name:  Rhopobota naevana Common Name:  Blackheaded fireworm, holy bud moth Appearance: Adult Black-headed fireworm is a brownish-black moth with a mottled appearance. It features a total wingspan of about 0.5-inches. The larva may be green or yellow and grows up to 0.25-inches long with multiple pairs of legs. Since the head of the larva is black, they are called black headed fireworms. Host Plants or Food: Black-headed fireworm lives off cranberry, holy, blueberry, and cherry plants. Territory: Throughout North America, Eastern USA, Western USA Mode of Damage:  They feed on both fruit and foliage, with the larvae rolling up the leaves and forming a web over them. Besides a leaf chewer and leaf miner, it is also a fruit feeder and significantly reduces the yield when infected. Habits and Life History: Black-headed fireworm is found mainly in cranberry fields and results in rolled leaves, blackened foliage, and holes. They lay eggs on the leaves, which overwinters in the egg stage until the spring arrives and the eggs hatch. In the initial stages of larva, they feed on fruit buds. As the larva grows, it mines the foliage and builds a web over it. The larva may turn into a pupa in the leaves or drop to the ground and pupate in the soil. It produces two or three generations per year.