Carob moth now outpaces codling moth as the main walnut orchard pest
Miele F, de Benedetta F, Petito E, Avventura G, Migliaccio F
Phenology
If you grow walnuts or buy them locally, a new pest is quietly taking over the orchards that produce them, and knowing when to harvest early could be the simplest way to protect the crop without more pesticides.
Scientists studying walnut orchards around the Mediterranean discovered that a moth most people have never heard of, the carob moth, is now causing more damage than the codling moth, which used to be considered the main walnut pest. The carob moth attacks walnuts during a very specific window when the fruit is ripening, so farmers who harvest a bit earlier and use pheromone traps to detect the moths can dramatically reduce the damage. The researchers worked out a reliable calendar based on walnut flowering and ripening stages, giving growers a practical schedule for when to act.
Key Findings
Carob moth consistently outnumbered codling moth in both pheromone trap captures and larval recoveries across all three orchards and both seasons studied.
Infestation peaked between the packing tissue brown (PTB) stage and husk dehiscence, with the high-risk window falling approximately 126-129 days after pistillate flower receptivity.
Adult moth flight detected by pheromone traps reliably preceded larval kernel entry, confirming traps as an effective early-warning system when paired with phenological observation.
chevron_right Technical Summary
A moth called the carob moth is overtaking the codling moth as the primary pest threatening walnut harvests in Mediterranean orchards, and researchers found that timing pest control to match walnut ripening stages can sharply cut crop losses.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Host phenology-driven infestation patterns of the carob moth (Ectomyelois ceratoniae) in Mediterranean walnut orchards: insights from comparison with codling moth (Cydia pomonella).
While Cydia pomonella has long been regarded as the key lepidopteran pest of walnut in Europe, field observations increasingly indicate that Ectomyelois ceratoniae is becoming dominant in Mediterra...
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