Río Negro: the advance of the poplar moth detected

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The appearance of this forest pest -poplar moth- in the vicinity of Campo Grande occurs at the beginning of the harvest. The insect could affect the marketing of fruit trees that are found near curtains of salicaceae. Specialists from INTA Alto Valle work on the identification, monitoring and management of field management tools.

Poplar moth. Image credit: Todd Gilligan, Screening Aids, USDA APHIS PPQ, Bugwood.org

The poplar moth (Leucoptera sinuella) is a leaf-mining pest. Although it affects forest plantations, in recent generations when the larvae complete their development they can affect the fruit trees adjacent to the poplar curtains.

Silvina Garrido, a specialist at INTA Alto Valle, stressed that “the fundamental thing at this stage is to monitor the forest curtains, make a correct identification and communicate quickly to initiate immediate control actions.”

In the event of the detection or suspicion of the pest “it must be communicated to the technical manager of the establishment or any INTA extension agency,” said Garrido and added that “if the presence of the species is confirmed, it is recommended to proceed to the total elimination of the affected outbreaks.”

“If the presence of the moth is detected in high areas, which are difficult to access, an application of insecticides should be considered, taking into account the update of the registered insecticides,” the researcher clarified. It is important to note that elimination involves the destruction of detected pupae or larvae.

Harvested fruit
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Among other recommendations, care should be taken in places where harvested fruit is stowage near poplar groves, increase controls at the entrances to the packing house, maximize monitoring and controls in case the presence or dispersion to new areas of the Alto Valle is detected.

INTA specialists continue to monitor avenues in the Alto Valle region and emphasize the dissemination of the necessary information for their rapid identification and early management.

How to Identify Poplar Moth
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It should be noted that “adults are small white moths whose first pair of wings has a black spot and three orange stripes. Its larvae mine the inside of the mesophyll of the leaves and its pupae are covered by a white silky cocoon with a very characteristic H-shape,” Garrido said.

What SENASA says
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According to SENASA’s National Pest Surveillance and Monitoring System (Sinavimo), the larvae are small, up to 7 millimeters long, flattened and yellowish-white in color, and feed on the inner tissue of the leaves.

On the other hand, the pupa is very characteristic, measuring about 3 millimeters long, they are located outside the leaves, cracks of trunks and other shelters, being protected by a small silky white cocoon.

The adult of the Poplar Moth is small, about 3 to 4 millimeters long, with a wingspan of 9 to 10 millimeters; It is bright white with silver scales.

The first pair of wings has the distal end colored with 3 orange stripes and a large black spot on its inner part. Its wings are pointed and have characteristic orange stripes at its ends. The antennae are long, covering almost the entire length of the body.

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