Obliquebanded Leafroller in Soybean
Crop Damage
Obliquebanded leafroller (Choristoneura rosaceana) occurs along the Atlantic Coast, westward to the Great Plains, and along the Pacific Coast in the United States. It can also be found throughout southern Canada. Although it is more commonly associated with fruit crops such as apple, peach, and pear, it has emerged as an occasional pest of soybean in some production regions.
Larvae feed primarily in the upper soybean canopy and web leaves together to create a protected feeding site. Feeding injury is generally confined to the leaves within these shelters and may be accompanied by leaf rolling and webbing.
Pest Description
Fully grown larvae are approximately 1 inch long and vary in color from light tan to dark green. The head capsule is dark brown to black. A distinguishing characteristic is a partially or completely darkened segment immediately behind the head.
Adult moths have light tan to brown forewings with alternating light and dark brown bands that run diagonally across the wings. When at rest, adults hold their wings roof-like over the body.
Obliquebanded leafroller larva. Orange arrow indicates dark segment behind head.
Todd Gilligan, Marc Epstein, USDA APHIS PPQ, Bugwood.org.
Scouting and Management
There are currently no established scouting procedures or treatment thresholds specifically for obliquebanded leafroller in soybean. In some regions, pheromone trapping networks are used to monitor adult moth populations for fruit crop management. These data may provide an indication of local obliquebanded leafroller activity and the potential for infestations in soybean fields.
If larvae are present, randomly sample plants throughout the field and estimate defoliation across the entire plant canopy. Use the Crop Protection Network’s Insect Defoliation Tool to improve the accuracy of defoliation estimates. Management decisions should be based on established soybean defoliation thresholds. Consider treatment when defoliation reaches 30% during vegetative growth stages or 20% during reproductive growth stages. Lower treatment thresholds may be warranted when other defoliating insects are present.
Developed and reviewed by Carol Pilcher, Iowa State University and Robert Wright, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, with support from the United Soybean Board.
Obliquebanded leafroller larva. Orange arrow indicates dark segment behind head. Todd Gilligan, Marc Epstein, USDA APHIS PPQ, Bugwood.org.
Obliquebanded leafroller adult. Mark Drelling, Bugwood.org.
Obliquebanded leafroller. Melissa Schreiner, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org.
Gallery images courtesy of Todd Gilligan, Marc Epstein, USDA APHIS PPQ, Bugwood.org; Mark Drelling, Bugwood.org; and Melissa Schreiner, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org.
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