Showing posts with label Too pretty to be a pest?. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Too pretty to be a pest?. Show all posts

Sunday, February 2, 2014

IVY LEAFROLLER

Kingdom: Animalia.  Phylum:  Arthropoda.  Class: Insecta.  Order: Lepidoptora. Familu: Torticidae. Genus: Cryptoptila. Species: immersana

The Ivy Leafroller is a brown moth mottled with shades of brown and grey.  The females have bolder pattern of dark brown and light brown patches, while males are more plain brown.  Females aer larger than the male.  When at rest the wings are held curved downwards.


The larvae are yellow green with a white head. It has four white stripes on the head, giving it the common name of 'four eyes'.


This moth is a pest of fruit plants and garden ornamentals including cotoneaster, honeysuckle, apricot, blackberry, strawberry, citrus, macadamia and avocado



The adult moths grow to 10-12 mm in length with a wingspan to 27mm.  Larvae grow to about 25mm.  They are found in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania.