North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[<dmnorton@royaloakfarmorchard.com>]

Lee's statement is correct, but needs to have added to it that the larvae emerge from the egg and begin to eat their way through the flesh of the fruit. In stone fruits, the larva works its way toward the pit, around which it feeds extensively until it is fully grown. On apples few if any of the young larvae survive if the apple continues to grow on the tree because the egg or larva is crushed by the firm, growing tissues of the fruit.  But they will eat their way into the apple before the crushing occurs.

When scouting for larvae damage to apples, it is very difficult to determine if a larvae found inside an apple is Codling Moth, Oriental Fruit Moth, Plum Curculio or Apple Maggot unless one has a field guide to help determine which it is or is a professional entomologist.  I have found all of the above in apples at one time or another over the years.

Dennis Norton
Royal Oak Farm Orchard, Zone 5
http://www.royaloakfarmorchard.com
http://www.theorchardkeeper.blogspot.com
http://www.revivalhymn.com

----- Original Message -----

From: Lee Reich

To: North American Fruit Explorers

Sent: Thursday, June 05, 2008 5:23 AM

Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Another Plum Curculio question...

Plum curculio doesn't reproduce in apple because the growing fruit crushes the eggs or larvae. But fruit with eggs laid in them are more likely to drop when young; sometimes they all do.

Lee Reich, PhD

http://leereich.com/

Books by Lee Reich:

The Pruning Book

Weedless Gardening

Uncommon Fruits for Every Garden

A Northeast Gardener's Year

On Jun 4, 2008, at 11:57 PM, Steve wrote:

Speaking of Plum Curculio...

Do Plum Curculios actually manage to reproduce in apples? I know they

sure do in plums and other stone fruit but I've never found a "worm" in

an apple even when there is a big curculio scar on the fruit. I do

usually spray with Imidan, spraying the apples when I do the 2nd spray

on my plums. Then another spray later. If I didn't spray, would I be

finding larva in my apples or is the damage only cosmetic? (I'm guessing

the spray makes no difference in the cases where a curculio manages to

survive the spray long enough to lay some eggs.)

Steve in the Adirondacks

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