Gray Banded Leafroller

Not of concern, sometimes a pest in apple orchards (Freeman 1958).

Adults are active from early May to mid June in Alberta.

Across Canada from Alberta to Nova Scotia south in the east to Florida.

"Easy to recognize by its size and distinctive forewing pattern. The forewing is white to light grey with variable brown shading in the lower median and basal areas. A large black triangle is present at the middle of the costa that is interrupted by a narrow line just before the postmedian area. The head and thorax is concolorous with the forewing and the latter has small paired tufts near the wing bases. The larva is completely greenish except for a small dark spot amongst the eyes, faint dark green speckling on the anal shield, and rarely dark edging to the thoracic shield (Chapman & Lienk 1971, MacKay 1962)."

Any habitat with abundant deciduous trees or shrubs.

Eggs are laid in batches of 20 to 273 on leaves and twigs and are initially green but later turn yellowish-orange. First instar larvae suspend themselves on silken lines and occasionally get dispersed by wind to other plants. Early instars skeletonize the leaves, and the later instars either roll the leaves, silk several together, or silk a leaf to a fruit and feed on both. The larva is active from June until September and it overwinters as a pupa. (Chapman & Lienk 1971)

The larva feeds upon a variety of different deciduous trees and shrubs, and occasionally forbs (Chapman & Lienk 1971).

Argyrotaenia mariana, the gray-banded leafroller moth, is a species of moth of the family Tortricidae. It is found in North America, where it has been recorded from Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Brunswick, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Quebec, Tennessee and West Virginia.

The wingspan is about 20 mm. The ground colour of the forewings is pale yellowish or whitish with a large dark grey patch and a greenish-yellow band. Adults have been recorded on wing from March to August.

The larvae feed on Acer species, Prenanthes species (including Prenanthes trifoliata) Alnus species, Betula species (including Betula alleghaniensis, Betula papyrifera, Betula populifolia), Viburnum species, Kalmia angustifolia, Vaccinium species (including Vaccinium uliginosum), Quercus species, Malus species (including Malus pumila, Malus sylvestris), Prunus virginiana, Pyrus species, Populus tremuloides, Salix species and Ulmus americana.