North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Lon J. Rombough" <lonrom@hevanet.com>]

Title: Re: [NAFEX] Apple pests

In this area, we would call that an "Omniverous Leaf Tier"  A caterpillar that ties the leaves together and eats nearly anything.  You could use BT on it.  Most of the time here they mostly just cause a little cosmetic damage to the leaves.  They only affect the fruit where they are on a leaf touching the fruit.  Towards the end of their larval cycle they let themselves down to the ground on a long silk line and pupate in the soil.
=-Lon Rombough
> I was examining my apples today, and noticed that the Ashmeads Kernal 
> graft has a lot of little green caterpillars.  They live in a curled up 
> leaf - the leaf stays curled up due to some strategically placed silk.  
> Whatever they are, they do an awful lot of damage to the growing tip.  
> (The leaves are not quite full sized today.)
>
> I've had similar damage in the past, and the graft keeps growing 
> vigorously, although it's possible this contributes to its lack of 
> flowers.  I think it's interesting that the crabapple this graft is 
> attached to gets much less damage, consistently over the years.  The 
> other graftlings are also damaged, some much worse than the Ashmead.  
> Karmijn is particularly hard-hit.  The Jonathan in the front yard is, 
> like the crab, not much affected.
>
> Anyone know what this caterpillar is?  Suggestions for control for next 
year?  Would dormant oil help?