4 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 409 



Table 1. — Comparative Infestation of Grape Varieties by the Grape 



Plume Moth. 

 Waltham and Newton, Massachusetts, 1939-42. 



Variety Percent Tips Infested 



Moore's Early 96.25 



Delaware 75.23 



Concord 72.28 



Hartford* 57.64 



*An old variety planted about 1880 and known locally as Hartford. 



HOST PLANTS 



The grape plume moth has been found only on the wild and cultivated varieties 

 of the northern fox grape, Vitis labrusca. Only slight infestations have been 

 observed on wild grapes, but most of the common varieties of cultivated grapes 

 have been moderately or heavily infested. 



Counts in the years 1939 to 1942 have shown more than 50 percent of the 

 tips on "backyard" grape vines to be regularly infested. 



DESCRIPTION 



The grape plume moth, also called the gartered plume moth, is native to North 

 America and was originally described by Asa Fitch in 1854 (3) as Pterophorus 

 periscelidactylus. Sometime between 1888 (8) and 1896 (13) it was reclassified as 

 Oxyptilus periscelidactylus (Fitch) where it remained until 1940 (7) when it was 

 returned to Pterophorus periscelidactylus Fitch. The moth is typical of the 

 family Pterophoridae, the wings being divided into feather-like sections which 

 suggest the name plume moth. Metamorphosis is complete and there are four 

 stages of development: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. 



Egg 



The average egg is .56 mm. long and .39 mm. wide, broadly elliptical in general 

 shape but slightly' narrower at one end. It is well rounded at the sides and ends, 

 but in the center of the upper and lower surfaces there is a small flattened area. 

 When first laid, the egg is glistening light yellowish green in color but it soon 

 changes to a light iridescent brown. 



Larva 



When hatched, the larva is shiny and pale yellowish green in color. After the 

 first molt, it is abundantly covered with relatively long pale hairs and has a 

 fuzzy appearance throughout the remainder of its life. When full grown it is 

 13 to 16 mm. (about J^ inch) long. The head and thoracic shield are very nearly 

 the same shade of yellowish green as the body. 



Pupa 



The pupa is 8 to 10 mm. long, naked, and light green or brown in color. It is 

 distinguished by two parallel appendages protruding dorsally from the first 

 abdominal segment. These "fins" are shaped somewhat like a spear point and 

 are dark brown. Smith (13) refers to them as the "breast bone" although they 

 are located on the back. 



