The Pests (Lobesia Botrana)
The European Grapevine Moth, otherwise known as the EGVM, has swept the Chaparral region with a devastating effect. It was found during the fall of 2009, and came to North America from Europe, the Mediterranean, southern Russia, Japan, the Middle East, and areas near east, northern, and western Africa. Primarily a pest of grapes, the EGVM feeds on the buds and flowers of grape plants, causing damage to the crop internally and externally. The plants then rot due to fungal pathogens that are carried by the moths, such as Botrytis cinerea, thus rendering them inedible and the plant destroyed. Although it rests in the day, and is primarily active from sun down to sun rise, this insect is still a threat to the vineyards of the Chaparral region. The females lay their eggs on the petals, and stems of flower clusters in the spring and on the berries themselves in the summer. Once hatched, the younglings are highly active and eat through the berries and the outside of the plant itself, including the buds of hte flowers. This menace causes the most economical damage during the summer, because that is when the larvae feed primarily on the berries, destroying the crop. They can be found in all vineyards across California, and are a terror to all wine makers alike.
Harrison Knapp Devon DeBalsi Laurence Greenberg David Panisello Mr. Filip P3 Honors