Fruit-borer
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Acrobasis vaccinii
cranberry fruitworm, Cranberry Fruitworm Moth
Acrobasis vaccinii is a small pyralid moth whose larvae are significant pests of cultivated blueberries and cranberries. Adults emerge after bloom and fruit set, with females depositing eggs on unripe berries. Larvae feed internally on berry contents, consuming up to eight fruits to complete development. The species has one generation per year and overwinters as full-grown larvae in cocoons.
Carposina
Carposina is a genus of small moths in the family Carposinidae, containing approximately 100 described species distributed across multiple continents. The genus includes significant agricultural pests, notably Carposina sasakii (peach fruit moth), whose larvae bore into fruits of Rosaceae and Rhamnaceae. Species exhibit internal fruit-feeding habits as larvae and complete metamorphosis with documented digestive tract reconstruction during pupation to accommodate dietary shifts from solid to liquid food.
Carposina fernaldana
Currant Fruitworm Moth
Carposina fernaldana is a small moth in the family Carposinidae, described by August Busck in 1907. The species is named in honor of Charles H. Fernald. It occurs in eastern North America from Quebec southward along the Mississippi drainage to Missouri. The larvae feed internally in fruits of hawthorn (Crataegus) and currant/gooseberry (Ribes) species.
Clydonopteron sacculana
Trumpet Vine Moth
Clydonopteron sacculana is a small snout moth (Pyralidae) first described from the Americas in 1800. Adults are active from May to August with a wingspan of 15–25 mm. The species exhibits documented host plant flexibility, with larvae feeding on Campsis radicans seed pods and, in North Carolina populations, internally on Pyrus calleryana fruit.
Conotrachelus crataegi
quince curculio, Hawthorn Curculio
Conotrachelus crataegi, commonly known as the quince curculio or hawthorn curculio, is a true weevil (Curculionidae) that infests hawthorn fruits (Crataegus spp.) in North America and Mexico. Adults are attracted to fruit volatiles, and females oviposit into developing fruits where larvae bore through flesh to destroy seeds. The species exhibits overlapping developmental stages with adults active primarily from April to September. It is a significant pest of commercial hawthorn (tejocote) production, causing direct damage through larval feeding and indirect losses via premature fruit abortion.
Cydia
Cydia is a large genus of tortrix moths in the family Tortricidae, subfamily Olethreutinae, and tribe Grapholitini. The genus includes numerous economically significant agricultural pests, most notably the codling moth (C. pomonella), a global pest of apple and pear orchards, and the plum fruit moth (C. funebrana). Species in this genus are characterized by their fruit-feeding larval habits, with many mining into or boring through fruits of cultivated trees. The genus name was adopted for the iOS software platform Cydia, referencing the codling moth's association with apples.
Diaphania hyalinata
melonworm moth, melonworm
Diaphania hyalinata, commonly known as the melonworm moth, is a crambid moth species and a significant agricultural pest of cucurbit crops. Native to the Neotropics, it has established permanent populations in the southern United States and disperses northward annually during warmer months. The species exhibits behavioral plasticity in feeding habits: in Florida and tropical regions, larvae primarily feed on leaves, while in more northern latitudes such as Virginia, they frequently burrow directly into fruits. Laboratory studies indicate a complete life cycle of approximately 20–23 days under warm conditions.
Epinotia celtisana
Epinotia celtisana is a small tortricid moth species described by Riley in 1881. The species name indicates an association with hackberry (Celtis), its larval host plant. Adults are active in late summer and fall. Larvae develop within hackberry fruits, making this a fruit-feeding tortricid rather than a leaf-roller.
Euzophera
snout moths
Euzophera is a genus of snout moths (Pyralidae) established by Philipp Christoph Zeller in 1867. The genus comprises approximately 70 described species distributed across multiple continents, with larvae that typically bore into plant tissues. Several species are economically significant agricultural pests, including stem borers of solanaceous crops and fruit borers of pomegranate. The genus exhibits considerable diversity in host plant associations, ranging from monophagous specialists to oligophagous generalists within particular plant families.
Frumenta nundinella
Mottled Twirler
Frumenta nundinella is a gelechiid moth with two generations per year in temperate North America. It is an obligate specialist on Solanum carolinense (horsenettle), with larvae inducing characteristic leaf shelters in the first generation and feeding within fruits in the second generation. The species is notable for inducing parthenocarpic fruit development in its host, creating galls within which larvae complete development. Adults overwinter and emerge to oviposit on new shoot tips in late spring.
Gymnandrosoma
Gymnandrosoma is a genus of tortricid moths in the tribe Grapholitini. The genus includes at least eight described species distributed primarily in the Americas. Gymnandrosoma aurantianum, the most economically significant species, is a major agricultural pest known as the citrus fruit borer in Brazil and the macadamia nut borer in Central America. Other species in the genus have been described from North and South America, with limited biological information available.
Keiferia lycopersicella
Tomato Pinworm
Keiferia lycopersicella, the tomato pinworm, is a gelechiid moth and significant agricultural pest of Solanaceae crops. Native to warm regions of the Americas, it has expanded its range through greenhouse production and international trade. The species completes seven to eight generations annually in favorable climates. Larvae are leaf miners and fruit borers, causing direct damage to tomatoes, eggplants, and potatoes. Adults communicate via sex pheromones, with synthetic lures used for monitoring and management.
Neoleucinodes prophetica
potato tree borer
Neoleucinodes prophetica, commonly known as the potato tree borer, is a small moth in the family Crambidae. The species was described by Harrison Gray Dyar Jr. in 1914. It has been recorded across the Caribbean, Central America, South America, and southern Florida. The larvae are specialized fruit borers on Solanum host plants.
Oenomaus
Oenomaus is a genus of hairstreak butterflies (Lycaenidae: Theclinae: Eumaeini) first described by Hübner in 1819. Species in this genus are relatively large compared to other hairstreaks and are distributed from southern Texas through Central America to southern Brazil. At least one species, Oenomaus ortygnus, is a significant agricultural pest of Annona fruit crops, with larvae boring into fruit pulp and causing economically important damage.
Simplicia cornicalis
Magas fruit-borer
Simplicia cornicalis is a litter moth in the family Erebidae, subfamily Herminiinae. Native to south-eastern Asia and the Pacific, it has been introduced to the southern United States, specifically Florida and Louisiana. The species is known from diverse island and continental locations including India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Fiji, Hawaii, Australia, and New Caledonia. Its common name "Magas fruit-borer" suggests larval association with fruit, though specific host documentation is limited.
Stathmopoda
Stathmopoda is a genus of small moths in the family Stathmopodidae (or subfamily Stathmopodinae within Oecophoridae, depending on classification system). The genus exhibits diverse larval feeding habits: some species are seed, fruit, or bud borers of angiosperms, including significant agricultural pests, while others are specialized fern spore feeders. The genus has a broad geographic distribution including Asia, Europe, and New Zealand, with particularly high species diversity documented in China.
Zophodia grossulariella
Gooseberry Fruitworm Moth
Zophodia grossulariella is a species of pyralid moth commonly known as the Gooseberry Fruitworm Moth. It occurs in Europe and North America, where its larvae develop inside gooseberry fruits. The species is recognized as a synonym of Zophodia convolutella in some taxonomic databases, reflecting ongoing nomenclatural uncertainty.