codling moth [key], small moth, Carpocapsa pomonella, whose larva is the destructive apple worm. Of European origin, it is now found wherever apples are grown. The adult moth is gray with brown markings and has a wingspan of about 3⁄4 in. (1.8 cm). The 3⁄4-in. larva is pinkish, with a brown head. There are several generations a year; the early eggs are deposited on leaves and the later ones directly on the developing fruit. The larvae feed inside the fruit and pupate (see insect) on the bark of the tree. Apple worms also attack pears, quinces, and English walnuts. The codling moth is classified in the phylum Arthropoda, class Insecta, order Lepidoptera, family Tortricidae.
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