Home

Isotenes miserana, the orange fruit borer moth in New Zealand

FRUIT BORER MOTH (OFB)
George Gill, from MAF BNZ Report to Forest Biosecurity Consultative Committee, July 31 2008

The orange fruit borer moth (Isotenes miserana) was detected in Auckland. A solitary male moth was collected by an amateur entomologist, and subsequent surveillance activity has located OFB around the original site of detection and at an additional site approximately 400m away.
Update: The High Risk Site Surveillance programme has been actively looking for sign of OFB. This surveillance confirmed that the OFB was more widely spread throughout Auckland.

In Australia OFB is one of a suite of about 8 species of leafroller that together are considered to cause moderate to severe damage to Pinus radiata. In New Zealand at least four species of leafroller have been associated with Pinus radiata. It is anticipated that any effects of OFB would be similar to that of leafrollers already present.
New Zealand has a rich leafroller fauna, both exotic and indigenous species, with an associated parasitoid and predator assemblage. Some of these species are polyphagous and it is anticipated that some level of attack will occur with OFB.