Variegated Leafroller – Platynota flavedana

Variegated Leafroller – Platynota Flavedana Scientific Name: Platynota Flavedana Common Name: Variegated Leafroller Distribution: The range of the variegated leafroller includes Maine, Florida, Kansas, and Texas in the west. Host plants: Apples, clover, maples, roses, sassafras, strawberries, and poinsettias are examples of host plants. Identification: The wingspan of an adult male is ½ inch, and they are brown with a cream-colored band at the end. The females have bigger wingspans (½ to ½ inch) and their wings are colored in different hues of brown and reddish-brown. The leading edge of the front wings has a black area. First and second instar little larvae have a black head and a golden color. The heads and thorax shields of older larvae are light brown in color and green. Life Cycle: Every year, there are two primary broods of variegated leafrollers. There is a big flight in April and May, and a smaller one in August and September. Moths were gathered between April and October. Larvae use silk to bind poinsettia leaves together so they may eat within. The overwintering diapausing caterpillars of tufted apple bud moths are found in the leaf litter. The overwintering caterpillars molt into pupae in the spring in response to longer days and higher temperatures, and six to twenty-eight days later, a new generation of tufted apple blossom moths emerges to mate and lay eggs. In New York, moths have been gathered from June to August, whereas in North Carolina, they have been taken from April to October. April through May and August through October saw the highest number of flights. The pace at which a moth develops from an egg to an adult is highly dependent on temperature. The caterpillars require 25 days at 32.2°C and 140 days at 10.6°C to reach full development; nevertheless, at 26.7°C, they had the longest survival time (35 days from egg to moth). Larvae of the tufted apple blossom moth live in the cage created by weaving silk between leaves. After cutting the leaves, the worms pull them into the nest. After the leaf has sufficiently wilted, the caterpillar consumes it. Damage: The larvae may fold and bind the leaf together, as well as skeletonize the underside of the leaf at the midrib. The larvae frequently use a web or leaf that is webbed to the fruit’s surface to shield the feeding spot as they eat on its surface. Along with cavities close to the calyx and stem, the larval stage may also target regions where two fruits come into contact. Following the adult moth’s second flight, the larvae may feed on fruit in the late summer, causing damage to excavations or pinholes. Management: There is a chance for biological control with this species. With the exception of the lady beetle, Stethorus punctum (LeConte), fenoxycarb, which was used to suppress tufted apple bud moths, exhibited good residual action and no impact on beneficial creatures. When applying pesticides, timing is crucial because once the larvae start building their nests of curled and knotted leaves, they are considerably harder to manage.