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Integrated Pest Management · Agriculture and Natural Resources

University of California

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Leaf-feeding caterpillars on woody plants

Fruit tree leafroller

Fruittree leafroller larva.

Redhumped caterpillar

Redhumped caterpillar.

Tent caterpillars

Tent caterpillars.

Some leaf-feeders fold or roll leaves together with silk to form shelters. Others chew on leaves beneath a canopy of silk, creating "nests"in foliage, mine trails within the leaf, or feed out in the open. Moderate damage to leaves can often be tolerated, but severe defoliation may cause dieback, lead to sunburn, or kill small plants.

Foliage-feeding caterpillars (general)

Cutworms

  • Citrus cutworm
  • Climbing cutworm
  • Cutworms on grapes

Foliage miners on woody ornamentals

  • Casemakers and skeletonizers
  • Citrus leafminer
  • Cypress tip miners
  • Pine tip or shoot moths
  • Shield bearers
  • Tentiform leafminer

Leafrollers

  • Fruittree leafroller
  • Orange tortrix
  • Light brown apple moth

Other woody-plant leaf feeders

  • Amorbia
  • Bougainvillea looper
  • California oakworm
  • Fall cankerworm
  • Fall webworm
  • Grape leaffolder
  • Green fruitworms
  • Omnivorous looper
  • Redhumped caterpillar
  • Sphinx moths
  • Tent caterpillars
  • Western grapeleaf skeletonizer
  • Western tussock moth