Spilonota ocellana
Pest description and crop damage Adults are grayish moths about 0.4 inch long with a wide white band on each forewing. Larvae are chocolate-brown with black heads up to 1 inch long.
Larvae spend the winter in a cocoon on the bark in the crotches of small-diameter limbs. They become active around bud break and feed on leaves and buds, webbing together leaves and feeding within these nests. After feeding they pupate within the nest and adult moths emerge in early to mid-summer. Eggs are laid on the lower surface of leaves. The larvae emerge and feed on the lower leaf surface until early August, at which time they construct their overwintering cocoons (hibernaculae). Feeding on buds in early spring can be particularly damaging for small trees. Eyespotted bud moth has not been consistently problematic in recent years.
Pest monitoring Look for larvae in nests of webbed-together leaves in the spring. Compare with similar pests such as leafroller and omnivorous leaftier. Note that adult moths have a pheromone component in common with filbertworm and may occasionally be caught in filbertworm traps. The two moths are about the same size and shape, but filbertworm can be distinguished by the gold scales on the wings, which are not present in eyespotted bud moth.
Management-chemical control: HOME USE
- carbaryl (Gardentech Sevin)-Highly toxic to bees. Do not apply when bees are actively foraging, wait until after the trees have flowered.
Management-chemical control: COMMERCIAL USE
- Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki-See label for rates. PHI 0 days. Apply with spreader-sticker. Some formulations are OMRI-listed for organic use.
- diflubenzuron (Dimilin 2L) at 8 to 16 oz/A. Up to four applications per season. PHI 28 days. REI 12 hr.
- emamectin benzoate (Proclaim) at 3.2 to 4.8 oz/A. PHI 14 days. REI 12 hr.
- flubendiamide (Belt SC) at 3 to 4 oz/A. PHI 14 days. REI 12 hr. Do not exceed 12 oz/A per year or 4 oz per 7-day interval.
- methoxyfenozide (Intrepid 2F and generics) at 8 to 16 oz/A. PHI 14 days. REI 4 hr.
- methoxyfenozide + spinetoram (Intrepid Edge) at 6 to 12 oz/A. Apply at initiation of egg hatch, if necessary, reapply after 14-21 days, but not before 14 days. PHI 7 days. REI 4 hr. No more than 12 fl oz/A/season.
- tebufenozide (Confirm 2F) at up to 30 oz/A. PHI 14 days. REI 12 hr. Apply when egg hatch begins. Do not exceed 30 oz/A per application or 122 oz/A for the season.