Life Cycle of Coptodisca negligens (Lepidoptera: Heliozelidae) on Cranberry

Abstract

The life cycle of a leaf miner, Coptodisca negligens Braun, was studied on wild large cranberry, Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait., at East Haddam, Conn., during 1985 and 1986. This univoltine heliozelid leaf miner spent 9 mo as an egg within the cranberry leaf and then developed from first instar to adult between mid-April and early July. The solitary larva had four feeding stadia and a nonfeeding fifth stadium. Larval head capsule width increased from first to fourth instar and decreased from fourth to fifth. Adult emergence and flight were each concentrated in 2 wk between late June and mid-July. Females oviposited in the undersides of young cranberry leaves. Moth activity overlapped with bloom and pollinator activity, suggesting that insecticidal control of adults would not be feasible.