North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Steve <sdw12986@aol.com>]

I've been wondering for years what this pest actually is. Even though 
they infest 25 to 40% of the young apples every year, they tend to not 
affect the final crop because the infested apples fall off when they are 
small and I do any thinning after that.
It behaves much like coddling moth in that it tunnels in, eats and area 
near the center of the small fruit, then exits out the side. I could 
almost believe it IS the first generation of coddling moth except for 
the following questions:

If it's coddling moth, why does it attack apples that are barely bigger 
than a pea, right after petal fall? I find the larvae inside and they 
are always small. Far smaller than any coddling moth larva I ever found 
in a mature apple. Petal fall was only 2 to 3 weeks ago here and 
already, I'm not finding any larvae in the small apples, only the exit 
tunnel.

If it's coddling moth, why do I never find them in mature apples? I 
can't remember the last time I picked a ripe apple and found coddling 
moth damage inside. It's been so long, I'm not sure right now if I EVER 
had them here in this yard. (I remember them very well from when I was 
younger and living in central Ohio.) My entire spray program for apples 
consists of two sprays of Imidan, starting soon after petal fall, then 2 
(sometimes 3 depending on the weather) sprays of Sevin when I start 
seeing apple maggot flies on my sticky apple traps. With that very 
simple spray schedule, my apples have been 100% free of insect damage 
for the last 3 years. I would find it hard to believe that Imidan is 
completely ineffective on a pest but Sevin is 100% successful at 
stopping the next generation.

So, if it's not coddling moth, then what is it? More information: The 
entry holes are usually right at the point where 2 small apples touch 
each other or where an apple touches a leaf. The frass that comes out of 
the exit hole is dark brown but it stains my fingers orange when I break 
open the apple to see if there is still a larva inside. The biggest 
apple I ever find with an exit hole is about the size of a nickel. Most 
drop before reaching that size.

Steve in the Adirondacks of northern NY