Brown Oak Tortrix, Archips crataegana

Archips crataegana, Brown Oak Tortrix  is an economically important tortrix moth. The synonym is Cacoecia crataegana. It is distributed in Europe and Asia, and flies from June to August in forest-steppes, shrubby hillsides and orchards.

Pheromone for Brown Oak Tortrix, Archips crataegana

Russell IPM manufactures and supplies pheromone lures, traps and complete monitoring systems for Archips crataegana, Brown Oak Tortrix . Pheromone trap gives an early warning of the pest infestation and also exhibits the density of the insect population.

Biology of Archips crataegana

Sexual dimorphism is clear in this species. Fore wings of imago are mainly brownish-gray, in male with yellow pollination (wingspan 26-28 mm in female, 19-21 mm in male). Wing pattern is dark-brown; in male distinct, with well discernible light limbation; in female diffused. Hind-wings are monochrome, brownish-gray, in female reddish pollinose at apex. Eggs are pale-yellow, slightly flattened, with rounded tops. Caterpillar is 20-23 mm long, with variable color depending on age, light-gray to grayish-green and velvety-black. Pupae (13-16 mm long) are dark-brown, weakly shining. Cremaster in form of truncated cone, bearing 8 (4 apical and 4 lateral) hooked setae. Average fertility is 219, potentially 130-270 eggs. Female lays eggs in groups of 10-70 eggs in a batch, 32-54 on the average, at height of 1-3 m or in forks of branches in bark folds and cavities. Egg-batch is covered with wax-like substance. Hatching caterpillars spread, damaging blossoming buds and flowers, and living under rolled leaf margins. Caterpillars of 4th instar make shelters by folding leaves along main vein and fastening their edges with silk threads, in contrast to A. rosana caterpillars, that roll leaves. Caterpillars of the last instar live in leaf bundles at tip of shoots. Most individuals aggregate at outer part of crown, in middle and upper layers. Duration of caterpillar development is 25-40 days. Pupation occurs in feeding places. The stage of pupa lasts 10–16 days at temperature 16–19°C. Hibernating eggs winter. During mass reproduction the number of egg-batches can reach up to 18-46 on one running meter of branch (source:agroatlas.spb.ru).

Nature of Damage

Polyphagous caterpillars damage apple, pear, cherry, plum, hawthorn, cotoneaster in orchards; bird cherry, mountain ash, hazel, oak, linden, ash, willow, elm, maple, etc., in forests. Sometimes they destroy 90% of leaves. Caterpillars cause damage to blossoming buds, flowering buds and flowers. On apple, pear, and plum they cause damage to ovaries and unripe fruits, gnawing around them on the outside and thus deforming them.

Pheromone application guidelines

The following notes are guidelines of general nature and meant to give the user a head start in implementing pheromone monitoring programme. Local conditions and practices can very and can lead to customisation of the programme.

Trap selection

The Deltra trap  is most sensitive trap to use for monitoring this insect. However, Moth catcher  may be used in dusty condition or in high moth population density. Do not re-use the trap to monitor different insects as this may lead to mixed catches.

Trap density

Two traps per hectare (2trap/ha) for small holdings and in field of uneven topography. One trap for every two hectares of large scale fields of homogenous lands.

Trap position

Near the highest point of the plant using supporting posts approximately 1 meter high or higher if the crop is higher.

Trap data and interpretation

Collect date weekly from the start of the flight of the over wintering generation.. During the height of the population more frequent reading may be needed. Decisions on pesticide application should not be taken solely on the trap catch data. Climatic and biological considerations should be taken in account.

Lures

Lures can be changed every 4-6 weeks to get the most accurate results.

Lures handling 

Pheromone lures are very sensitive tool. They can be affected by exposure to elevated heat and direct sunshine. Direct touching by hand may cause cross contamination leading to mixed catches in the trap. Some contaminants such as Nicotine may have repellent effect reducing trap catch.

Lure Storage

Cool dry place. Shelf life can very from 3-36 months depending on the storage temperature.  See Technical Data Sheet for further details.