Identification of Codling Moth Pupation Sites to Improve Management

Recent evidence suggests that the key apple and pear pest, codling moth, is developing resistance to the primary larvicide used for organic management. Thus, a resistance management program that ensures the longevity of organic pome fruit production is in development. In other systems, targeting pupae that survive larvicide exposure is critical to slowing resistance. However, it is unclear where codling moth pupates. Previously, codling moth overwintered and pupated in protected bark crevices on old trees with rough bark surfaces, but these protected locations are not as common in modern orchards. Here, we propose a graduate student project to determine where codling moths overwinter and pupate using mesocosm experiments and field observations to quantify pupation rates on bark, soil, and leaf litter in modern orchards. These data help optimize codling moth pupal controls, including application of the fungal pathogens funded by a complementary BioAg project, and ultimately improve resistance management.