False Codling Moth (FCM) IPM

The False Codling Moth (Thaumatotibia leucotreta) is classified as a quarantine pest by the European Union(EU) owing to their great economic, environmental and social impact.

This pest attacks a wide range of hosts, including roses, tomatoes, chilis, maize, and fruits like the citrus family and avocados.

This pest breeds through out the year on host plants but has a peak during the raining season.

The FCM have a typical life cycle spanning from egg- larvae- pupa - adult and as such, their IPM management hinges on the proper understanding of these stages. The female can lay up to 100 eggs at night, either on flower petals or any other parts of the rose bush like the crown gall. The eggs need a keen eye to be identified looking white-cream at first and turning to a reddish tinge as they mature. They take from 2 to 22 days to mature depending on the prevailing temperatures. They are very sensitive to low temperatures, with exposure to temperatures below freezing point for over 24 hours killing them.

Once the eggs hatch, the FCM immediately burrow into the rose heads and go through 5 instars. the first 4 are creamy whitish in color and are easy to handle with stomach poisons or baculoviruses like Cryptogran whereas the 5th instar larvae, which is pink-orange in color and later turns to a light brown color may not respond well to a lot of these. This is the most destructive stage tunneling into the flower heads, reducing their aesthetic value.

The FCM pupae is found int he first few centimeters of the soil. it begins in a cream color with a soft body and slowly turns dark brown as it hardens. With low soil temperatures, high humidity or frequent irrigation, a lot of the pupae do not make it to emergence.

The FCM adult is 6-9mm long with a width of 2.5mm. their wing spans 16-20mm with a greyish brown to dark brown or black color. The forewings have 2 white dots while hind wings are light grey-brown and are darker towards the margins. Male moths are slightly smaller than female moths.

IPM CONTROL OF FCM:

Cultural Control:

1. Good hygiene : Removal of all infested buds out of the growing area will reduce FCM in the fields.
2. Host Elimination: By reducing agrobacterium galls reduces possible breeding ground

Physical Control:

1. Use of traps for both mass trapping and monitoring
2. The use of Mating disruptors like SPLAT(by Dudutech) , which desensitizes male moths preventing them from seeking females.
3. Pick and kill the pest anywhere visible.
4. Maintain the highest physical barrier integrity by repairing worn out polyethene, installing screen nets etc.

Biological Control:

1. Parasitoids like the trichogrammatoidea cryptophlebiae for the eggs.
2. The use of Entomopathogenic Fungi (EPFs) like Beauveria Bassiana for the adult moths
3. The use of beneficial bacteria like Bacillus Thuringiensis for the larvae.
4. The use of beneficial viruses like Cryptophlebia leucotreta (Cryptogran by Dudutech) a granulovirus that targets the larvae.

Chemical control:

1. Lufenuron -Match

2. Spinetoram -Tracer

3. Emamectin Benzoate - Prove

4. Lambda cyhalothrin - Karate zeon, Lambdex