Skip to Left navigation Skip to Main content Skip to Footer

University of Minnesota Extension
www.extension.umn.edu
612-624-1222

Extension > Garden > Diagnose a problem > What's wrong with my plant? > Fruit > Apple > Holes in leaves or parts of leaves missing

Print Icon Email Icon Share Icon

Apples > Leaves > Holes in leaves or parts of leaves missing

1 of 9
  • Image: Eastern Tent Caterpillar 1
  • Image: Eastern Tent Caterpillar 2
  • Image: Eastern Tent Caterpillar 3

Eastern Tent Caterpillar
Malacosoma americanum

  • Larvae feed on leaves, sometimes defoliating trees
  • They make a web or “tent” in the fork of the branches
  • Larvae are hairy with blue, black, and orange markings, and a white stripe down the back, almost 2 inches when full grown
  • Present during May and June
  • More information on Eastern Tent Caterpillar
2 of 9
  • Image: Forest Tent Caterpillar 1
  • Image: Forest Tent Caterpillar 2
  • Image: Forest Tent Caterpillar 3

Forest Tent Caterpillar
Malacosoma disstria

  • Chews entire sections of leaves, often leaving some major veins; defoliation can be severe
  • Hairs along sides of body, blue and black with characteristic footprint shaped white markings on top of body, almost 2 inches long when fully grown
  • Occurs in May and June
  • More information on Forest Tent Caterpillar
3 of 9
  • Image: Cankerworms 1
  • Image: Cankerworms 2
  • Image: Cankerworms 3

Cankerworms
Paleacrita vernata and Alsophila pometaria

  • Chews smalls holes between veins at first, later chewing leaf tissue except for major veins, and eventually chewing all of leaves except midvein
  • Defoliation typically light to moderate, although it can potentially be severe
  • Smooth-bodied, light green to brown, 1 1/3 inch long when fully grown; moves in characteristic looping motion
  • Occurs late April/early May until June
  • More information on Cankerworms
4 of 9
  • Image: Redhumped Caterpillar 1
  • Image: Redhumped Caterpillar 2
  • Image: Redhumped Caterpillar 3

Redhumped Caterpillar
Schizura concinna

  • Larva will eat entire leaf, leaving only the midvein
  • Red head and a wavy black, yellow, and white striped body with a red projection (hump) on the thorax behind the head, 1 1/3 inch long when fully grown
  • Occurs in August and September
  • More information on Redhumped Caterpillar
5 of 9
  • Image: Yellownecked Caterpillar 1
  • Image: Yellownecked Caterpillar 2
  • Image: Yellownecked Caterpillar 3

Yellownecked caterpillar
Datana minnistra

  • Young larvae feed in groups and skeletonize leaves by eating the leaf tissue and leaving the veins.
  • As larvae mature, they become solitary feeders and eventually eat the entire leaf.
  • Larvae are active from late July through early September.
  • They have black heads with striped body covered with fine white hairs and a bright yellow spot behind the head.
  • More information on Yellownecked caterpillar
6 of 9
  • Image: Fall Webworm 1
  • Image: Fall Webworm 2
  • Image: Fall Webworm 3

Fall Webworm
Hyphantria cunea

  • Produces silken webbing that covers the ends of branches
  • Chews entire sections of leaves, leaving major veins
  • Yellowish or greenish with long, fine white hairs with two rows of black spots down its back
  • Occurs from late July through September
  • More information on Fall Webworm
7 of 9
  • Image: Cecropia 1
  • Image: Cecropia 2
  • Image: Cecropia 3

Cecropia
Hyalophora cecropia

  • Chews entire sections of leaves; defoliation typically is minor
  • Light green body with double row of reddish orange knobs on thorax behind head; also series of smaller yellow and blue knobs on abdomen; grows up to 4 inches long
  • Becomes a large, attractive moth
  • Occurs in August and September
  • More information on Cecropia
8 of 9
  • Image: Obliquebanded Leafroller 1
  • Image: Obliquebanded Leafroller 2
  • Image: Obliquebanded Leafroller 3

Obliquebanded Leafroller
Choristoneura rosaceana

  • Early season larvae feed on the undersurface of a leaf along the midrib or other large vein
  • Early season larvae feed inside bud clusters and developing fruit, resulting in fruit drop or corky scars on the fruit
  • Late season larvae can scar the fruit
  • Larvae are yellow-green and 1” in length when mature
  • Adult moth is reddish-brown with brown bands on the wings
  • More information on Obliquebanded Leafroller
9 of 9
  • Image: Redbanded Leafroller 1
  • Image: Redbanded Leafroller 2
  • Image: Redbanded Leafroller 3

Redbanded Leafroller
Argyrotaenia velutinana

  • Larvae skeletonize leaves from the underside, folding and webbing the leaves together
  • Fruit injury is usually shallow with ragged edges and thick, corky tissue over the damaged area
  • Larvae are green with a green head, and reach about ½" at maturity
  • Larvae are yellow-green and 1” in length when mature
  • Larvae are present early May – June
  • Adults have distinct red-brown bands on the forewings that form a V-shape when at rest, and are about ¼" in length
  • More information on Redbanded Leafroller

Don't see what you're looking for?