The currant clearwing moth (Aegeria tipuliformis (Clerck)) as a pest of black currants

Abstract

The bionomics of the currant clearwing moth in a heavily infested Lincolnshire black currant plantation were investigated from 1951 to 1960. 95% of overwintered larvae pupate in May; the remainder, chiefly in the older wood, carry over until the following season. T h e mean number of eggs laid per bush was ninety and the mean number of larvae surviving until winter was forty-nine (59,ooo/acre). Pruning, parasitism and predation by tits reduced this to twenty by May, giving an overall loss of about 80% from egg to adult due to natural causes.Parathion, dipterex or gusathion, acting ovicidally, reduced surviving larvae by 80 yo compared with untreated controls, but a large-scale experiment showed no crop increase in the year following successful treatment and the net economic effect of high larval infestation was negligible.

The distribution and dispersion of life stages of currant clearwing,Synanthedon tipuliformis(Lepidoptera: Sesiidae), in blackcurrant

“…Only Taschenberg (1953) and Brock et al (1964) expressed results as a percentage distribution, the former for red currant, where the larvae were distributed 38%, 31%, and 31% in 2+,1+, and 0+ wood respectively, and the latter for blackcurrant with 23%, 45%, and 32% in the same age groups. These percentages were presumably ca1culated from raw numbers, since there was no indication by the authors to the contrary (cf.…”

Experiments on the Control of Currant Clearwing Moth (Synanthedon tipuliformis (Clerck)) on Gooseherries

“…The treatments were aimed at killing the newly hatched larvae, which normally are exposed on the wood for several hours before tunnelling into the pith (Brock et al, 1964). Half a pint (0-285 1.)…”

“…The adult moths emerge in late June and early July (Brock et al, 1964). During 1962During -1965 this coincided with the gooseberry harvest, and spraying had to be delayed until after the picking was completed, because of the risk of insecticidal residues on the fruit.…”

“…The currant clearwing moth (Synanthedon tipuliformis (Clerck)) infests red and black currants and gooseberries (Massee, 1954), and is a widespread pest in most soft fruit growing areas (Brock, Collingwood and White, 1964). Since the late 195O's it has frequently been reported as a pest of gooseberries in the Wisbech area, where roughly half the plantations are more than 20 years old and many are over 50 years old.…”

Field testing of the insect parasitic nematode,Neoaplectana bibionis [Nematoda: Steinernematidae] against currant borer moth,Synanthedon tipuliformis [Lep.: Sesiidae] in blackcurrants

“…The use of insecticides for currant borer control is limited by problems in achieving correct spray timing and adequate spray coverage in mature plantations (BROCK et al, 1964), residue problems at harvest which may result from the need to repeat sprays to give protection in the 6-10 weeks when eggs are present (BROCK et al 1964 ;YAKIMOVA, 1968), and the disruption of predators of the two-spotted mite (Tetranychus urticae KocH). BEDDING & MILLER (1981) demonstrated the use of the insect parasitic nematode, Neoaplectana bibionis BOVIEN, to disinfest blackcurrant cuttings of currant borer larvae in a controlled environment.…”