European Apple Sawfly

NYS IPM Type: Fruits IPM Fact SheetThe European apple sawfly is an introduced pest that was first noted in North America infesting crabapples on Long Island (Farmingdale, N.Y.) and Vancouver Island (Victoria, B.C.) during 1939 and 1940, respectively. Since then it has spread into southern New Jersey, Vermont, New Hampshire, and the Southern Tier of New York State. The pest is especially troublesome in the apple-growing regions of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and the Hudson Valley of New York. In the Pacific Northwest, the European apple sawfly appears to be limited to Vancouver Island. The pest is distributed over the entire continent of Europe but is most common in the north. It is found throughout England but is abundant only in certain localities. The larvae feed on all apple and crabapple varieties but show a preference for early or long-blooming varieties with a heavy set of fruit. Sawflies are primitive hymenopterous insects and are related to bees, wasps, and ants. Although two generations a year have been reported in England, only one seems to occur in populations in North America

SEASONAL BIOLOGY AND CONTROL OF THE DOGWOOD BORER, SYNANTHEDON SCITULA (LEPIDOPTERA: SESIIDAE) ON CLONAL APPLE ROOTSTOCKS IN NEW YORK

The dogwood borer, Synanthedon scitula (Harris), is a relatively new pest problem on apples. Larvae feed principally in burr knots on the above-ground portion of clonal rootstocks. According to a survey of 33 orchards on dwarf or semidwarf apple root-stocks, about 70% of the trees had burr knots. The tendency to develop burr knots was similar among the rootstocks examined in this survey. The proportion of trees infested with dogwood borer in an orchard ranged from 0 to 100% and averaged 30%. The dogwood borer overwinters in the larval stage (2nd to 6th instar) and pupates in the feeding tunnel. Emergence and pheromone-trap records indicate 1 generation a year. In western New York, adults begin to emerge in mid-June, peak in mid-July, and continue to emerge through September. In several tests conducted over a 3-year period, chlorpyrifos at 180 g/100 L provided the most consistent control. At this rate a single spray timed to first or peak egg hatch was as effective as 2 sprays. Latex paint applied by brush to the trunk at the beginning of the oviposition period also reduced the infestation. In established plantings, dogwood borer can also be controlled by berming with soil up to the graft union to prevent access to burr knots. Destroying burr knots chemically with naphthalene acetic acid will not eliminate an infestation and may invite other borer problem