Peachtree Borer Moth

Description:

The adult peachtree borer is a clear wing moth with a 1-1/4 wing span. Unlike the majority of moths, these fly during the day and are most active from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The female and male moths differ in appearance. The female is dark, steel blue with one or two wide orange bands around her abdomen. Her front wings are opaque while the hind ones are clear. The male moth is smaller and more slender. It is also steel blue, but has several narrow-yellow bands around the abdomen. Both pairs of wings are clear.

Notes:

Egg laying begins shortly after the moths emerge and lasts only a few days. The eggs are deposited on the trunk at or near the base. Females lay 500-600 eggs on average. The larvae will begin to hatch in 9 to 10 days. Upon hatching, the larvae wander down the trunk to the soil line and burrow into the bark, often entering through a crack or wound. When full grown, the larva is 1-1/4 in long, cream colored with a dark brown head. The winter is spent as a larva under the bark. In the spring the larva will construct a silken cocoon and cover it with tiny bits of chewed wood. The borer will remain in the pupal stage from 18 to 30 days before emerging as an adult. There is a single generation per year. Infestation by the peachtree borer is often identified by oozing of gum around the base of the tree. The gum is usually mixed with dirt and reddish-brown frass. Frequently empty brown pupal cases can be found around the base of damaged trees, either at the head of the larval gallery or in the soil close to the tree trunk.