Brazilian peppertree, Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi (Anacardiaceae), is a dioecious evergreen tree native to Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. Currently, Brazilian peppertree is distributed widely throughout central and southern Florida, and is listed by the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council as a “Category 1” invasive exotic species because it is altering native plant communities. In 1994, several natural enemies of Brazilian peppertree were imported into a quarantine facility in Florida as candidates for classical biological control. One of these candidates was a South American leaf-rolling moth Episimus utilis Zimmerman (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), which had been previously released in Hawaii in the 1950s. Traditional no-choice and multiple choice tests produced ambiguous results. Because laboratory testing often can overestimate host range, leading to the rejection of acceptable candidates, the F1 Sterile Insect Technique (F1SIT) was investigated as a novel approach. Using the F1SIT approach, the leafrollers could then be safely released temporarily for field host range testing. Results of exposure of E. utilis adults to various doses of gamma radiation are presented. In addition, performance of E. utilis on different artificial diets was examined to increase colony production for mass rearing purposes.