Field Identification
A clearwing moth whose larvae tunnel at the base of peach, plum, cherry, apricot, and nectarine trunks—often at or just below the soil line—pushing gum mixed with coarse frass. Heavy infestations girdle trees and kill young orchards fast. Native to eastern North America and present wherever stone fruit is grown in warm-temperate climates across the continent, including Mexico at suitable elevations—roughly zones 5–9—with earlier flights in hot summers.
Adults are wasp mimics with dark forewings and yellow to orange bands on the abdomen; larvae are pinkish white with a dark head and no legs visible at the tunnel mouth. Look for fresh frass pellets and sticky gum at the crown from midsummer through fall. Distinguish from lesser peachtree borer by typical height of attack and flight timing with local trapping.
How to Deal With It
Organic Control Methods
Entomopathogenic nematodes applied as trunk drenches into active galleries kill larvae when substrate moisture and temperature match product specs. Kaolin trunk barriers may reduce egg-laying where labeled. Reapply nematodes after irrigation events that improve soil contact around the crown.
Braconid and ichneumonid parasitoids attack clearwing larvae; woodpeckers excavate shallow galleries. Maintain flowering groundcovers in orchard alleys to feed adult parasitoids without encouraging ant-tended pests on trunks.
Hill soil slightly away from scaffolds after planting to expose the crown for inspection; avoid burying graft unions. Use trunk guards and white paint to limit sunscald that precedes egg deposition. Remove suckers that hide borer entries at the soil line.
Probe and crush larvae in accessible galleries on young trees when detected early. Pheromone traps monitor male flights for nematode timing. For severe infestations on single trees, consider removal to protect neighboring trunks.
Inspect crowns monthly during growing season, especially on 2–4 year plantings. Flag blocks with history of gum spots for early summer nematode passes. Train crews to distinguish borer gum from bacterial canker ooze by frass presence.
Let Nature Handle It
Natural Enemies
- Braconid Wasps
- Ichneumonid Wasps
- Woodpeckers (Picidae)
- Entomopathogenic Nematodes
Threat Map