A massive plague of Achaea lienardi moths and caterpillars will not directly damage fruit, even though A. lienardi is known as the “fruit-piercing moth”.
So said Prof Martin Villet of Rhodes University’s Department of Zoology and Entomology. He added the invasion in the Eastern Cape and extending into parts of KZN, is likely to end soon as the country moves into winter.
Massive numbers of A. lienardi moths and their offspring have caused consternation among fruit and wattle farmers over the past few weeks because of the damage the insects could do.
Reports have come in of sections of indigenous bush in the Eastern Cape game and nature reserves being almost totally denuded of leaf material because of the caterpillars’ voracious appetites. But Prof Villet said A. lienardi is often falsely accused of damaging fruit orchards.
In fact, the damage is more likely to have been done by moths of the species Serrodes partita. S. partita uses its barbed proboscis to drill into fruit such as peaches, grapes and sweet citrus, leading to bacterial rot and fruit falls. A. lienardi is blamed because it likes to feed at the rotting punctures made by S. partita.
A. lienardi is also called the “wattle looper moth” because its caterpillars have been known to feed on black wattle trees.
Natural history museums and university entomology departments have been inundated with calls from urban residents and farmers asking if the moths and caterpillars could wipe out gardens, fruit orchards and wattle plantations.
Prof Villet said the recent outbreak of swarms of A. lienardi is most likely due to drought conditions during spring and early summer, followed by late summer rains delaying the flush of new leaves on domestic and wild plants until later in the growing season. “Night-time air temperatures are higher and more conducive to the activity of adult moths, which then lay their eggs,” explained Prof Villet.
“The caterpillars take full advantage of the young leaves and complete their development in four to five weeks.
“It’s also possible the early drought and late availability of prey depressed populations of predatory insects which would otherwise have eaten the caterpillars.” – Lloyd Phillips
Eastern Cape ‘moth plague’ no threat to crop farmers
A massive plague of Achaea lienardi moths and caterpillars will not directly damage fruit, even though A. lienardi is known as the “fruit-piercing moth. The invasion in the Eastern Cape and extending into parts of KZN, is likely to end soon as the country moves into winter.
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