Integrated Pest Management
Leafrollers
Oblique banded leafroller adult.
Leafroller damage.
HOSTS
- Deciduous trees and shrubs
- All fruit trees, especially cherry
DESCRIPTION
A caterpillar or pupa inside a folded leaf tied with silk is most likely a leafroller. Leafrollers are moths whose larvae (caterpillars) feed on leaves and in some cases, on the surface of fruits. This pest is not a concern for backyard trees.
BIOLOGY
Leafrollers (obliquebanded being the most common in Utah) are minor pests of fruit trees and other deciduous trees and shrubs. Depending on the species, they overwinter as pupae or eggs and emerge in spring. Only the obliquebanded leafroller has more than one generation. In Utah, leafrollers are primarily a concern for cherry growers. The larvae do not directly feed on the fruit (they prefer the leaves), but as cherries are harvested, they can fall into the bins, contaminating the crop. Leafroller larvae have become more of a problem with the switch away from Guthion for cherry fruit fly control.
SYMPTOMS
- Rolled, chewed leaves
- Dimpling or scarring on fruit
GENERAL MANAGEMENT
Leafrollers are often suppressed by insecticides that control codling moth or other caterpillar pests. Microbial insecticides, such as Bt and spinosad, are very effective in killing leafrollers.
Monitoring:
Look for rolled leaves at shoot terminals starting in late May.
Insecticides:
- Residential: dormant oil° alone or with malathion, permethrin, or gamma-cyhalothrin
- Commercial: click here