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How to identify it
- The moth is about 1/2 to 3/4 inch long, with brown forewings crossed by darker lines; the markings vary, and in most individuals they are more subdued than in similar Archips moths. The hindwings are grayish brown with yellowish-orange shading near the tip.[1][2]
- The caterpillars are green, from dull pale green to dark olive, with a light to dark brown or reddish-brown head and brown to black legs. Full-grown caterpillars are 15 to 20 mm (about 5/8 to 3/4 inch) long.[1][2]
- Eggs are laid in irregular, flat masses of about 60 on twigs, branches and bark, and the masses look grayish by spring.[1][2]
Look-alikes
| Look-alike | How to tell them apart |
|---|---|
| Obliquebanded leafroller | Its caterpillars are similar to those of the obliquebanded leafroller and some other leafrollers.[2] |
Where it lives
It is native to the Palearctic region and was introduced into North America before 1890. It now occurs in the Northeast and the Pacific Northwest; in the Pacific Northwest it is a pest of hazelnuts (filberts), fruit trees and other plants in the rose family.[2][1]
Biology and life cycle
There is one generation a year. The moths fly from late June to August and in July lay the eggs that spend the winter on twigs and branches.[2][1]
The eggs hatch in spring, from the time buds open until petal fall. The caterpillars feed for four to six weeks on leaves, buds, flowers and small fruits, rolling leaves as they grow older, and then pupate inside the rolled leaves.[1][2]
The caterpillars feed on plants in more than 15 families. Apple, currant, hawthorn, pear and privet may be its main hosts.[2]
Very low winter temperatures greatly reduce the overwintering population, and spiders, parasitic wasps and predators such as brown lacewings greatly reduce leafroller numbers through the year.[1]
Damage and signs
- Damage starts early in spring, when the caterpillars roll leaves and feed on the foliage and buds. In Pacific Northwest hazelnut orchards it has not reached levels that call for management in recent years.[1]
Health risk
The handbook and the USDA fact sheet discuss it only as a plant pest; neither mentions any risk to people.[1][2]
Control
Traps and physical control
Home orchardists can hand-pick and destroy rolled leaves that contain caterpillars or pupae.[1]
Biological control
Natural enemies usually keep it in check: biological control is typically enough, and chemical control is rarely necessary. Many parasitic wasps attack the older caterpillars.[1]
Pesticides
If spraying is needed, do it in spring after the overwintering eggs hatch, when leaves are about 3/4 to 1 inch long and the caterpillars are small. Avoid treating once caterpillars are mature: the damage is already done, and natural enemies would be harmed. Home options listed include azadirachtin (neem oil), Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki, carbaryl and pyrethrins.[1]
Monitoring hazelnut orchards
From about mid-March, check three shoot tips per tree and three leaf clusters per shoot for tightly rolled leaves and feeding on new growth. Treatment is suggested when 20 to 25% of shoots are infested.[1]
For moths, hang one pheromone trap per 5 acres, about 6 feet high in the canopy, starting in mid-May. The suggested threshold is 40 moths per week.[1]
Common questions
- Is the filbert leafroller the same as the rose tortrix?
- Yes. Archips rosana is called the filbert leafroller in hazelnut orchards and is also known as the rose tortrix.[1][3]
- Do I need to spray for filbert leafroller?
- Usually not. Natural enemies normally keep it under control, and in recent years it has not reached levels that require management in Pacific Northwest hazelnuts.[1]
- Where does the filbert leafroller spend the winter?
- As eggs, in flat masses on twigs, branches and bark. The masses turn grayish by spring and hatch as the buds open.[1][2]
Sources
- Pacific Northwest Pest Management Handbooks (Oregon State, Washington State and University of Idaho Extension), “Hazelnut: Filbert leafroller (Pacific Northwest Insect Management Handbook).” pnwhandbooks.org/insect/nut/hazelnut/hazelnut-filbert-leafroller (accessed 2026-11-09)
- USDA APHIS PPQ Center for Plant Health Science and Technology, with Colorado State University, “Archips rosana fact sheet, Tortricids of Agricultural Importance (T. M. Gilligan and M. E. Epstein; last updated August 2014).” idtools.org/id/leps/tortai/Archips_rosana.htm (accessed 2026-11-09)
- iNaturalist, “Archips rosana taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/214086 (accessed 2026-11-09)