The apple clearwing moth or red belted clearwing , Synanthedon myopaeformis, is regarded as a very important pest due to the damage it’s larva does to trees.
How to spot it
Adult flight begins in June and ends in late August , reaching it’s peak in mid-July.
The eggs are laid , singly, in cracks , pruning cuts, wounded bark. The larva feeds on the cambium layer for two years. Mature larva tunnel through the bark and makes an exit hole just before pupation , in spring.
Frass collects in these tunnels but it is expelled just before they pupate ( finding frass is a warning that something is wrong). The pupae stage lasts for two weeks than the adult emerges.
Damage
Infestation can occur in all apple rootstocks and varieties:
- feeding by larvae can kill young trees.
- poor fruit set
- early leaf drop
- an infestation can make the tree susceptible to other pests and diseases
Control
There are a few things you can do to if you noticed an attack:
- after pruning the tree, destroy all branches, don’t leave them under the tree or near it and use a wound- protecting produce to seal the wounds on the tree
- use bait for adult moth. A really easy bait ,that works, is grape juice. Use a bucket or bottle with grape juice as a trap by hanging it in the tree as both female and male moths are atracted to it.
- spraying with insecticides in another tool you can use.
Garden and Orchard 