False codling moth / Thaumatotibia leucotreta

Commonly known as the false codling moth, orange moth, citrus codling moth or orange codling moth.

Female moths lay their eggs between 5:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. The eggs are deposited on the surface of the host fruit over irregular intervals throughout the female's life. Under ideal conditions (25 °C) a single moth can produce up to 800 eggs.

Once hatched from the eggs the larvae burrow a 1 mm diameter hole into the host fruit. Once the larvae are inside the pulp they begin to feed. Young larvae feed on the outer portion while older specimens move further into the interior of the fruit. 

The final adult stage of the moth occurs when the winged insect emerges from its cocoon. The moths are inactive during the day and are only active during portions of the night. Males may live between 14 and 57 days, whereas females will live between 16 and 70 days.

The false codling moth presents a problem to the citrus industry. Once the fruit has been penetrated it is no longer a marketable item. The crop yield losses as high as 20 percent in some cases.

The false codling moth is well established in Africa and is commonly spread by the transport of produce carrying the insect. The following locations are where the moth is known to occur; Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo Democratic Republic, Côte d'Ivoire, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Israel, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Saint Helena, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

SYNONYM:

Thaumatotibia roerigii

Cryptophlebia leucotreta 

Cryptophlebia roerigii 

Olethreutes leucotreta 

Thaumatotibia roerigii 

Proper use of Pheromone Traps:

The pheromone trap is designed to monitor and reduce pest numbers. In order to determine the population density of pest insects and to identify pest outbreaks (monitoring), it is recommended to use 1 trap per 1 ha.

The trap should be placed in the crown of the tree at a height of 1.5-2 m.  Prior to the first flight of the butterflies, the traps must be checked on a daily basis, and after the first butterflies have been captured, the traps must be checked every 5-7 days. Pheromone dispensers and adhesive tapes can be replaced as needed. Protective measures are based on the results of the monitoring of population density of pest insects.

Trap placement:

For mass capture and sterilization of males, it is recommended to have more than 20 traps per hectare. In case of a large number of pest insects use 30 traps per 1 ha.