How to Manage Pests

UC Pest Management Guidelines

DESCRIPTION OF THE PEST

Adults are small (0.75 inch wingspan), brownish moths with dark wavy lines on the front wings. They are most active at night but, like webworm adults, are easily disturbed during the day and fly short distances if frightened from their daytime resting places. Eggs are flattened, scalelike, and laid singly or in overlapping groups on the underside of leaves, particularly on those near the ground. Larvae are pale green to pale yellow caterpillars and about 0.75 inches long when fully grown. They have a broad white stripe running lengthwise over the back with a dark green band in the center of this white stripe.

DAMAGE

Larvae of the false celery moth eat the undersurface of the leaf, often leaving the upper epidermis intact. Leaves are often covered with a light webbing in which specks of excrement can be found. The webbing may enclose several leaves or draw the parts of a single leaf together. Like webworms, false celery moth larvae can cause extensive damage in a short period of time. The false celery moth larva usually occurs together with one or more of the webworms previously discussed. Damage and webbing are often similar and care should be taken in the identification of the offending insect.

MANAGEMENT

There are no economic thresholds established for false celery moth and no chemicals registered for their control. Consider their numbers together with those for webworms when making treatment decisions. No chemicals are registered for control of false celery moth.

PUBLICATION

UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines: Sugarbeet
UC ANR Publication 3469
Insects and Mites
C. G. Summers, Entomology, Kearney Agricultural Center, Parlier
D. R. Haviland, UC IPM Program, Kern Co.
L. D. Godfrey, Entomology, UC Davis

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