First report of Adoxophyes orana in northwestern Turkey: Population fluctuation and damage on different host plants

Abstract

This study reports the presence of the summer fruit tortrix moth, Adoxophyes orana, in pome and stone fruit orchards for the first time in northwestern Turkey. Based on growers' complaints about cosmetic damage to peach and pear fruits, pheromone traps were set up in mid-April of 2009 and 2010 to monitor the occurrence of the summer fruit tortrix moth. We conducted studies in conventional apple, pear, peach, and sweet cherry orchards in Bursa, northwestern Turkey. Moths caught in pheromone traps showed a trimodal flight pattern in all orchards. However, both moth emergence time and total flight period varied among host plants. The first moths were caught in peach and apple orchards on 13 May in 2009 and 3 May in 2010, corresponding to an average degree-day (DD) accumulation of 350-356 DD starting from 1 February. The 2nd and 3rd moth flights began in late June or early July (1003-1027 DD) and early August (1600-1690 DD), respectively. Moth captures continued until the end of September, lasting for an average of 2305 DD. The highest mean percentage leaf damage (9.3%) was found in sweet cherry orchards. However, neither sweet cherry nor apple fruits were injured in any way by A. orana larvae. Conversely, the mean percentage of fruit infested with larvae was 1.4% and 0.8% in peach and pear orchards, respectively. Because a level of fruit damage higher than 1% is considered the control threshold, A. orana is more likely to cause economic damage in peach and pear orchards in the near future.