Description

Adult

Wingspan of 11 – 14 mm. Forewings are clothed in brown scales and lanceolate shaped. The hindwings are grey with long fringes.

Larvae

Larvae reach 8-12 mm in length and are white-grey in colour with a pale brown head and thorax. The prolegs are present on segments 3, 4 and the apical segment.

Eggs

Small and pale yellow in colour, laid singly or in small batches on flowers and immature fruits.

Distribution

North Africa, the Middle East & Western Asia

Economic Host(s)

The Date Palm, Phoenix dactylifera

Symptoms/Signs

Larvae feed on developing fruits. The first generation typically feeds within the flowers. Silken webbing is used to attach fruit to plant strands of other fruits and larvae feed within the woven shelter. The last generation diapause as adults until the following April.

Generations:

3