Managing Pests in Gardens: Diseases: Ash moth or Bentley ash moth

Pests in Gardens and Landscapes

Ash moth, or Bentley ash moth—Sympistis (=Oncocnemis) punctilinea

Bentley ash moth (Noctuidae) is an occasional pest in the Central Valley and southern deserts of California.

Identification

Larvae are up to 1/2 inch long and dark gray to brown with a lighter-colored longitudinal stripe. The head is dark with light-colored patterns. The adults (moths) have brown, gray, or tan forewings with dark lines and a wingspan of 1-1/3 inches.

Life cycle

Bentley ash moth has one generation per year.

Damage

Larvae chew foliage in the spring, usually only leaves on the inner canopy near bark where the night-feeding larvae hide during the day.

Solutions

Ash generally tolerates damage from this pest. Apply Bacillus thuringiensis or another effective insecticide during spring when larvae are present if damage is intolerable.

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