Monitoring seasonal activity and damage potential of the carob moth Ectomyelois ceratoniae (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae: Phycitinae) in citrus orchards of the Western Cape Province

摘要

The carob moth, Ectomyelois ceratoniae (Zeller), is a polyphagous pest in hot and dry climates, such as the Mediterranean region, and occurs on citrus in South Africa, however, its pest status is not known. The aim of this research was to investigate its seasonal activity patterns and damage potential on citrus crops, in comparison to a pest of phytosanitary concern and one it can be confused with in the larval stage, the false codling moth, Thaumatotibia leucotreta (Meyrick). The study was carried out over 20 months in two regions, one with predominantly citrus and one with mixed agricultural production. Carob moth activity patterns indicated two periods of activity (summer and early spring), with damage taking place in citrus during autumn, close to harvest. The results showed that there were no significant differences in carob moth trap catches between the two study sites (F-1,F-4 = 0.00661, P = 0.94) and no significant differences in wild false codling moth catches between the two study sites (F-1,F-4 = 1.2960, P = 0.32). While traps in both regions caught carob moths in equal abundances, damage only occurred in the region dominated by citrus crops. Assessing pest status, relative to the false codling moth, indicated that carob moth is not currently a major economic pest.