Cydia pomonella

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Codling Moth

is a tortricid and major global pest of apple and pear orchards. The caterpillar, commonly known as the 'worm in the apple,' bores into fruit and prevents normal development, causing premature ripening and crop loss. are attracted to traps with limited plume reach, requiring multiple traps for reliable monitoring. The has been detected via environmental in yard waste shipments, highlighting its potential for human-mediated .

Cydia pomonella by (c) Slimguy, some rights reserved (CC BY). Used under a CC-BY license.

Cydia pomonella by (c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Ken-ichi Ueda. Used under a CC-BY license.

Cydia pomonella by (c) Donald Hobern, some rights reserved (CC BY). Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Cydia pomonella: /ˈsɪdiə poʊməˈnɛlə/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Images

Habitat

Apple and pear orchards; ornamental crabapple trees in residential settings. Larvae develop within fruit. have been observed at blacklight traps in urban and suburban environments.

Distribution

Native to Eurasia; now . Present across Europe, North Africa, Middle East, Central Asia, South Asia, East Asia, Australasia (Australia, New Zealand), North America (Canada, USA), Central America (Mexico), and South America (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Uruguay).

Diet

Larvae feed internally on developing fruits of apple, pear, peach, apricot, almond, plum, quince, and walnut. Larvae cannot feed on leaves and are dependent on fruit as a food source.

Host Associations

Malus - larval food plantapple
Pyrus - larval food plantpear
Prunus - larval food plantpeach, apricot, almond, plum
Cydonia - larval food plantquince
Juglans - larval food plantwalnut

Life Cycle

Complete . Larvae bore into fruit to feed and develop. occurs in soil or protected locations. emerge and mate; females deposit on or near fruit.

Behavior

Males orient to female (codlemone) with limited range; random movement plays significant role in trap capture. Courtship involves female wing fanning and movement toward males. are and attracted to lights.

Ecological Role

Major agricultural pest causing significant crop damage and economic loss in fruit orchards. Preyed upon by assassin bugs including Acholla .

Human Relevance

Primary pest of apple and pear production globally; management relies on monitoring, applications, and . Subject to border inspection and protocols. Environmental methods have been developed to detect presence in green yard waste shipments. Gene editing research (CRISPR/Cas9) targets odorant receptor genes for potential future control methods.

Similar Taxa

Choristoneura fumiferanaBoth are tortricid moths, but spruce budworm feeds on conifers rather than fruit and has highly variable coloration
Choristoneura conflictanaBoth in Tortricidae, but large aspen tortrix feeds on aspen, poplar, willow, and alder rather than fruit trees

More Details

Pheromone trap monitoring

Standard traps emit plumes reaching only about 5 meters. Line-trapping with five traps spaced 4 meters apart and averaged produces more reliable abundance estimates than single traps, reducing variability from 0-32 (single trap range) to 1-12 moths (line average range).

Gene function research

The CpomOR1 odorant receptor gene, expressed in male and female tip, is essential for production and viability—females with knocked-out CpomOR1 produce few eggs and none viable, suggesting role in preparation beyond detection.