PestControlBasics
Menu

Identify

Treat

Local

About

Grape Berry Moth

Paralobesia viteana[3]

Grape berry moth larvae feed on blossoms and berries, leaving shriveled, webbed grapes.[1]

Group
Insect
Order
Lepidoptera
Family
Tortricidae
US records
24 states
Sources
3 cited
Updated
2026-10-16
Grape berry moth, a small moth with a brown band across gray-blue wings, on a white sheet
Grape berry moth, a small moth with a brown band across gray-blue wings, on a white sheet. (c) Justin Williams, some rights reserved (CC BY) — via iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0
On this page
  1. Identification
  2. Where it lives
  3. Biology
  4. Damage and signs
  5. Health risk
  6. Control
  7. More from University of Maryland Extension
  8. Related profiles
  9. Common questions
  10. Sources

How to identify it

  • Adults are about 1/4 inch; at rest a brown band crosses the middle, with gray-blue behind it.[1]
  • Full-grown larvae are pale olive-green, about 2/5 inch, sometimes tinged purple.[1]

Where it lives

It's found in the U.S. east of the Rocky Mountains on wild and cultivated grapes.[1]

US map: public records from 24 states since 1990 (GBIF).

Biology and life cycle

It overwinters as pupae in leaf litter, and later pupae form under semicircular flaps cut in leaves.[1]

There are two or three generations a year; later larvae move from berry to berry under webbing.[1]

Damage and signs

  • Damaged berries shrivel under fine webbing and attract mold, rot and fruit flies.[1]

Health risk

It feeds on grapes; UK Extension mentions no risk to people.[1]

Control

Sanitation

Clean up or bury leaf litter under vines in winter to kill overwintering pupae.[1]

Pesticides

First-generation sprays go on when berries are the size of small peas; pheromone traps help with timing.[1]

More from University of Maryland Extension

Newly hatched larvae are creamy white with a dark brown head and turn greenish, then purple; mature larvae are about 10 mm long and leave the grape to pupate in a rolled leaf, bark crevice or the soil.[2]

Common questions

What's webbing my grape clusters?
Grape berry moth larvae feed under flimsy webs in the clusters.[1]
Where does it spend winter?
As pupae in leaf litter under the vines.[1]

Sources

  1. University of Kentucky Entomology (ENTFACT), “Grape Berry Moth (ENTFACT-221).” entomology.mgcafe.uky.edu/ef221 (accessed 2026-10-06)
  2. University of Maryland Extension, “Grape Berry Moth.” extension.umd.edu/resource/grape-berry-moth (accessed 2026-10-15)
  3. iNaturalist, “Paralobesia viteana taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/334338 (accessed 2026-10-06)

Updated 2026-10-16. Built from sourced records. Spot an error? Tell us.