Pistachio Twig Borer

Pistachio

Grown larvae average 7.5 mm in length, milky white, with two yellow spots on the tail. Adults have black wings with two yellow spots on the tip.

Adults lay an average of 40 eggs near the top buds in the sprout or in the fruit cluster 4-6 days after mating. They hatch from the hatched eggs in about 10 days. The larvae enter the sprout where the egg is located and for about 9 months they feed in the branch and make their way forward. Feeding of the larva causes the sap inside the sprout to turn black.

They come out by making a hole from the shoots they feed on from March. They turn into pupae by spinning a cocoon near the exit hole with a web they secrete. Adults from these cocoons begin to emerge from April. It can be understood from a pinhead sized hole in any part of the knitted coco that the pupae are harmful.

Spending the winter in one year sprouts of the pest causes the fruit buds to fall and thus the loss of the product. During feeding, leaves fall on the sprout, shoots are short and fruit clusters are damaged. Economically, it causes serious loss of products.

For monitoring purposes, 2-4 traps/ha are hung as of March. Traps are checked on a weekly basis.