Vine Moth

(Clysia ambiguella), a moth of the Tortricidae family; a grapevine pest.

The wingspan of the vine moth is 4–18 mm. The anterior wings are pinkish yellow with a trapeziform black-brown stripe; the hind wings are gray-brown. The ovum is up to 0.9 mm long, transparent, and yellowish gray. The caterpillar reaches 14 mm in length; it is reddish in color, with a black head and dorsal plate. The moth is found in Europe, Asia Minor, India, and Japan; in the USSR it is common to Moldavia, the Ukraine, Middle Asia, and the Far East. It develops in two, and sometimes three (in Middle Asia), generations. The pupae winter under the peeling bark of the stems and in the cracks of the wooden supports. The moths lay their eggs on the buds and the young fruit. The caterpillars feed on the buds, young ovaries, and fruit. The damaged grapes rot in most cases. Control measures include growing the vines on trellises and treating the vineyards with insecticides as soon as the first caterpillars appear.