Obliquebanded Leafroller 
 (Choristoneura rosaceana)

Obliquebanded leafroller are an orchard pest commonly found in apples, blueberries, peaches, cherries, and pears. Overwintering larvae are found under bud scales, pruning scars, or in leaf litter from October until March. Larvae become active and feed on buds, blossoms, fruit, and young leaves, often rolling leaves with silk to form protective shelters. These shelters protect larvae from contact insecticides and predators. At this stage, management should target ingestible chemistries, such as Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) and insect growth regulators. Fruit damage from late-season feeding may lead to small pits on the fruit’s surface and may go undetected until the fruit is in cold storage.
Pupation occurs inside the protective shelters (rolled leaves), and adults emerge from May to June, depending on seasonal temperatures. Monitoring traps should be used throughout the growing season by placing delta traps on orchard tree branches that are approximately 5 feet off the ground and baiting them with an obliquebanded leafroller lure. A farm’s BioFix (base 42°F) should be set once a trap has captured one or more obliquebanded leafroller for two consecutive weeks. Second-generation moths typically fly from early to mid-August. In warmer climates, obliquebanded leafroller may enter a third generation.