It is widespread throughout the country. It prefers stone fruit species. It most strongly attacks peach, apricot, and plum. It can also be found on cherry, almond, and sweet cherry, among others.
The peach twig borer develops three generations per year, and with a warm autumn, a fourth generation. It overwinters as a second-stage (and less frequently as a first-stage) larva in the buds, mummified fruits, branch forks, on fruit stems, and on the trunk. To overwinter, the larva creates a small chamber with smooth walls, spun with silk threads. Under field conditions, the development takes 35-63 days, after which the larvae pupate in bark cracks, of leaves, and other places.
Female moths lay their eggs individually on the leaves and young shoots. The average fertility is 30-40 eggs.
The larva is brown, with light rings between the segments. The head and thoracic shield are shiny, dark brown. The body has sparse light setae. It reaches a length of 10-15 mm.
Pupa
The pupa is brown with a yellowish tint, 10 mm long. It is placed in a sparse silk cocoon that includes plant parts, around the site of damage.
The pupal period lasts about 20 days, and for the subsequent (summer) generations, 10-12 days.
A single larva damages 2-3 buds or shoots. On plums and cherries, it also attacks newly formed fruitlets. The damage primarily occurs on the shoots, but sometimes also affects the fruits, especially in plums. Attacked shoots droop, and later their tips dry out along with the leaves, halting growth.
In small fruits, the larvae can destroy the entire interior, and in larger fruits, they chew a short path in the fleshy part.
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