LBAM biology, range extension and control

Native to Eastern Australia, Light brown apple moth, LBAM or Epiphyas postvittana (Walker) Lep.: Tortricidae) was initially transported with apple and other plant material to New Zealand, England and Western Australia. In these places it became widespread on diverse host plants including weeds and fruit crops. It is managed under integrated pest management including biological control. In Hawaii, it is limited by altitude to a climate matches with less tropical areas. Considered as an unwanted organism in USA, its control legislatively provides for a nil tolerance through quarantine for fruit exported from New Zealand and Australia. No doubt similar ecological limitations will apply to new populations in mainland USA and Europe but predictive models need data on cold-limited distributions. Host range expansion has followed predictable lines with a recent analysis suggesting 500 host plants. Suppression is possible by lure and kill and mating disruption and many other technologies, most of higher non-target impact. The sterile insect technique is arguably the most socially acceptable tactic and modeling indicates the largest multiplier through optimizing fitness and inherited sterility at low doses.