Grape Moth

Grape Moth 

(Theresia ampelophada), a moth of the family Zygaenidae. The wingspread is 22-25 mm; the wings are dark brown with a metallic sheen. In the USSR the moth may be found on the Southern Crimean Shore, in Krasnodar Krai, in Dagestan, and in Western Georgia. The moth damages grapevines. In the spring the caterpillars eat the buds and leaves of the vines, and in June they pupate. At the beginning of July the moths deposit clusters of eggs on the undersides of the leaves. The caterpillars skeletonize the leaves from the underside. When grape moths multiply in large numbers, they can completely denude the shrubs. Protective measures include growing the vines on trellises, cultivating the soil properly, and applying insecticides.