Anarsia lineatella

Biocontrol of the peach twig borer

Common name: Peach twig borer
Scientific name: Anarsia lineatella
Order: Lepidoptera
Affects: Almond tree, peach tree, nectarine tree, apricot tree and plum tree
Main season: Spring, Summer y Autumn

Anarsia lineatella

General information

Anarsia lineatella is a serious pest of stone fruit trees. It causes significant economic losses as it directly affects the fruit and damages buds, flowers and new shoots.

This lepidopteran mainly affects species of Prunus, being primary hosts the almond tree, peach tree, nectarine tree, apricot tree and plum tree.

As secondary host, the pear tree is cited; associated hosts are the quince tree, species of Malus (ornamental), apple tree and Pyrus spp.

Anarsia lineatella is found in many countries in Europe, Asia, Africa and North America.

 Anarsia lineatella adult


Morphology and biology

The adult is large, 14 to 16 mm in size, with narrow and almost rectangular upper wings. These ones are light grey with darker lines while the lower wings are uniformly grey. When the adult is at rest the folded wings look like a roof.

dorsal view of Anarsia lineatella

The egg measures 0.5 x 0.3 mm. When newly-laid it is white, gradually changing to yellowish orange.

The newborn larva is 1 mm long and can reach 12 or 15 mm in size in its final developmental stage. Its body is chocolate-coloured with pink intersegment membranes. The head is light brown to black.

It winters as larvae in the second developmental stage, with no activity and having lodged itself in a hole that it has bored in the bark of trees that are 1 or 2 years old. Inside this it builds a nest from silk threads and any remains of bark.

Larvae of Anarsia lineatella

Larvae of Anarsia lineatella

The over-wintering larvae exit the tree from late January until late March. Once outside it settles on a flower bud or a new shoot, if there are any, to feed itself. The attacked bud is left empty and the larva carves out an axial gallery in the shoot.

Pupation takes place between two leaves and the first generation of adults appears in May-June. Adult activity is crepuscular and they feed only on water. The eggs are laid at the leaf base, stems and on the skin of the fruit. Incubation period lasts 10 to 15 days.

The larvae feed from birth by puncturing growing shoots or fruit, preferring the latter when they are changing colour and when the buds stop growing. The second generation emerges in July-August and there is a third one in September that produces the over-wintering larvae.


Damages

It mainly attacks peaches and nectarines, but also causes damage to almonds, apricots and plums. The damage is caused to the buds, shoots and fruits.

Damage to shoots is caused by the destruction of the tender shoots’ internal tissues. The shoots wither but sprouting continues. As a result, these damages are only significant in nurseries and plantations in young orchards.

Damage to apricots caused by Anarsia lineatella

The damage to fruit is important because the fruit with worms rot or they are unmarketable, with the added disadvantage that often the newborn larva penetrates the stalk cavity leaving a small hole that may go unnoticed and the rotten fruit could reach the market.


Detection and monitoring

1 to 3 traps should be set per hectare, placed at crop level. They can be placed on the trees or in a support for this purpose. The traps should be installed at the beginning of August.


Mass trapping

Mostly the males of this species are captured, in order to reduce the mating, so that non-copulated females will have unviable eggs. This reduces the pest population.

To carry out mass trapping the number of traps per area should be increased depending on the location and homogeneity of the crops. One trap can control an area of between 1,000 and 2,000 m². This entails a trap density of 5 to 10 traps per hectare.


Period of use

To achieve good control of the Anarsia lineatella, it is advisable to combine the two methods: detection and monitoring and mass trapping. In spring you can place 1 to 3 traps per hectare to detect the pest and control its population levels.

Through established thresholds of tolerance in each area, the control measures are later defined, in this case mass trapping. The threshold of tolerance for Anarsia lineatella is very low and varies according to the area. Generally, it is around 3 captures per trap and per week. Moment in which we recommend to set traps all over the crop for mass trapping.


Necessary material

A trap ECONEX DISPOSABLE WHITE TRIANGULAR and a pheromone diffuser ECONEX ANARSIA LINEATELLA 2 MG 40 DAYS .

The trap: ECONEX FOLDABLE WHITE TRIANGULAR WITHOUT SHEETS are activated by placing an ECONEX SHEET FOR TRIANGULAR 1 UNIT on its base. The sheet is coated with a pressure-sensitive adhesive, solvent free, in which the insects are trapped.

> ECONEX ANARSIA LINEATELLA 2 MG 40 DAYS pheromone diffuser

ECONEX ANARSIA LINEATELLA 2 MG 40 DAYS Packaging and pheromone diffuser.
(Code: VA012)

ECONEX TRIANGULAR BLANCA PLEGABLE SIN LÁMINAS

ECONEX FOLDING WHITE TRIANGULAR WITHOUT SHEETS
(Code: TA273)

ECONEX LÁMINA PARA TRIANGULAR ENV. 1 UD.

ECONEX SHEET FOR TRIANGULAR 1 UNIT PACK
(Code: TA248)

ECONEX TRIANGULAR BLANCA DESECHABLE

ECONEX DISPOSABLE WHITE TRIANGULAR
(Code: TA242)


Factors that influence the number of traps needed

Pest population, bordering crops, level of control required, etc…

An important factor is crop size. In small and irregular crops, a greater number of traps will be needed than in large and regular crops.

Another important factor is the distance between crops that have the same pest. In such cases the crop boundaries should be reinforced, so a trap density of about 20 traps per hectare may be needed. More traps may be required in the case of mass trapping.

The trap ECONEX WHITE TRIANGULAR without sheets is activated by placing an ECONEX SHEET FOR TRIANGULAR (Code: TA248) at the base of it. The sheet is impregnated with a pressure sensitive adhesive, solvent free, in which insects are trapped. The trap ECONEX DISPOSABLE WHITE TRIANGULAR is coated on its inner face with a layer of contact adhesive, solvent free, for the retention of the insects. The pheromone diffuser has to be placed inside the trap on the sheet or adhesive surface.

Both traps stand out above all for their simplicity of use, and will be operative until pheromone depletion or saturation of the sheet or adhesive surface.


Packaging difussers


ECONEX ANARSIA LINEATELLA 2 MG 40 DAYS

Corrugated cardboard box of 400 units (20 packs of 20 units).
Box size: 0.32 x 0.24 x 0.22 m (length x width x height).
Box weight: 1.5 kg.
No. of boxes per pallet: 80
Pallet size: 1.20 x 0.80x 2.05 m (length x width x height).
Pallet weight: 154 kg.

Pack of 20 units

Pack of 20 units.

Box of 400 units

Box of 400 units.
(20 packs x 20 units each)


Packaging traps



ECONEX FOLDING WHITE TRIANGULAR WITHOUT SHEETS

Corrugated cardboard box of 150 units.
Box size: 0.60 x 0.40 x 0.35 m (length x width x height).
Box weight: 10.60 kg.
Number of boxes per pallet: 20
Pallet size: 1.20 x 0.80 x 1.95 m (length x width x height).
Pallet weight: 222 kg.

box of 150 units

Box of 150 units.

ECONEX SHEET FOR TRIANGULAR 1 UNIT PACK

Corrugated cardboard box of 500 units.
Box size: 0.42 0.29 x 0.21 m (length x width x height).
Box weight: 10.75 kg.
Number of boxes per pallet: 50
Pallet size: 1.10 x 1.00 x 1.25 m (length x width x height).
Pallet weight: 545 kg.

Box of 500 units

Box of 500 units.


ECONEX DISPOSABLE WHITE TRIANGULAR

Corrugated cardboard box of 250 units.
Box size: 0.42 x 0.29 x 0.21 m (length x width x height).
Box weight: 13.10 kg.
Number of boxes per pallet: 50
Pallet size: 1.10 x 1.00 x 1.25 m (length x width x height).
Pallet weight: 665 kg.

Box of 250 units

Box of 250 units.


Recommended information:


ECONEX ANARSIA LINEATELLA 2 MG 40 DAYS LEAFLET

Leaflet in PDF format that can be downloaded by clicking on the image.

ECONEX ANARSIA LINEATELLA 2 MG 40 DAYS LEAFLET


ECONEX WEB RESOURCES

Section of the ECONEX corporate website that allows you access to online information about ECONEX solutions for the biocontrol of other relevant agricultural and forest pests.

To access ECONEX WEB RESOURCES click on the image.

web resources