UC IPM Online UC ANR home page UC IPM home page

UC IPM Home

SKIP navigation

 

Grape > Year-Round IPM Program > Veraison > Identifying Caterpillars and Their Damage

  Printer-friendly version

Grape (Wine and Raisin)

Identifying Caterpillars and Their Damage—Veraison

On this page
  • Omnivorous leafroller and damage
  • Orange tortrix and damage
  • Light brown apple moth
  • Grape leaffolder and damage
  • Western grapeleaf skeletonizer and damage

Monitor for omnivorous leafroller, western grapeleaf skeletonizer, grape leaffolder, light brown apple moth, and orange tortrix (in coastal areas) from bloom through veraison. Also look for natural enemies of caterpillars.

Use the photos below to identify caterpillars and their damage. Names link to more information on identification and management.

Click on photos to enlarge
Caterpillar Damage

Omnivorous leafroller larvae
Omnivorous leafroller
Identification tip: Larvae have a black or brown head capsule. Mature larvae are cream to brownish green with whitish, slightly convex tubercles on the top of the abdomen.

Damage to grapes in veraison period by omnivorous leafroller
Identification tip: Rotting and raisining (drying up) of Thompson seedless grapes following chewing damage by omnivorous leafroller larvae.

 

Orange Tortrix Larvae
Orange tortrix
Identification tip: The larva is straw colored with a brown head and prothoracic shield.

 Orange tortrix larval feeding damage
Identification tip: Berries and stems damaged by orange tortrix have dry-calloused surfaces.
Light brown apple moth larva
Light brown apple moth
Identification tip: The mature larva is pale-to-medium green with a light yellow-tan head. The first segment behind the head is greenish brown with no dark markings. However, larvae cannot be reliably identified using morphological characters. Take suspect larvae (preferably alive) to the County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office for proper identification.		 No photo available.
A grape leaf curled and tied together with silk by the larva of a grape leaffolder, Desmia funeralis.
Grape leaffolder
Identification tip: Mature larvae are translucent-greenish with small black spots located above the second pair of legs which distinguish later larvae from omnivorous leafroller.		 Grape leaffolder larvae
Identification tip: Grape leaffolder larvae curl leaves and tie them together with silk.

Pale, scraped surface of a grape leaf fed upon by larvae of western grapeleaf skeletonizer, Harrisina brillians.
Western grapeleaf skeletonizer
Identification tip: Feeding by larvae of western grapeleaf skeletonizer leaves the surface of foliage pale and scraped.

Wester grapeleaf skeletonizer fourth and fifth instars
The fourth- and fifth-instars are yellow with two purple and several blackish bands.

 Pale, scraped surface of a grape leaf fed upon by larvae of western grapeleaf skeletonizer, Harrisina brillians.
Identification tip: Whitish spots on a grape leaf caused by feeding of first-instar larvae.

Continued feeding bye western grapeleaf skeltonizer
Continued feeding by western grapeleaf skeletonizer leaves the surface of foliage pale and  scraped.
Top of page

Statewide IPM Program, Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California
All contents copyright © 2016 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.

For noncommercial purposes only, any Web site may link directly to this page. FOR ALL OTHER USES or more information, read Legal Notices. Unfortunately, we cannot provide individual solutions to specific pest problems. See our Home page, or in the U.S., contact your local Cooperative Extension office for assistance.

Acknowledgements Staff-only pages Subscribe (RSS) Contact UC IPM

Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California

© 2016 Regents of the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources Nondiscrimination Statement

Accessibility   /PMG/C302/m302vpcatidmg.html?srcPage=PMG%2FC302%2Fm302vpcatidmg.html revised: June 24, 2016. Contact webmaster.