Recognition (Winter moth)

Adult male
Flies at night in winter. Wingspan 22-28 mm, forewings rounded, greyish brown and with darker wavy cross-lines.

Adult female
Found on tree trunks and branches in winter. Wings reduced to stubs; body 5‑6 mm long, dark brown mottled with greyish yellow.

Egg
Occur singly in bark crevices; 0.5 x 0.4 mm; oval, pale yellowish-green, soon becoming orange red with pitted surface.

Larva
Looper habit, up to 25 mm long. Pale green with dark green dorsal stripe and several whitish or creamish-yellow stripes along back and sides, including a pale yellow line passing through the spiracles. Abdomen has two pairs of prolegs.

Other pests with which winter moth may be confused

Tortrix moth caterpillars

• Tortrix moth caterpillars often occur in blossom trusses in spring and, when tiny, can be confused with winter moth caterpillars.
• However, tortrix moth caterpillars have 5 pairs of abdominal prolegs.

Clouded drab moth caterpillars

• Clouded drab moth caterpillars occur commonly in the shoots of apple post blossom and have a similar green colour appearance to winter moth but are quite different if examined closely.
• They gave 5 pairs of abdominal prolegs.