A new insect pest of onions, leeks, garlic and related alliums is making its way into New York.
The leek moth (Acrolepiopsis assectella) has been confirmed by Cornell entomologist Rick Hoebeke (Cornell) to be in St. Lawrence and Clinton Counties, and is now suspected in Jefferson County as well as in Vermont.
This pest is found in most of Europe and many other areas including Japan, Siberia, Algeria. It was first found in North America in Quebec in 1997 and was first confirmed in the continental U.S. last summer in four home gardens in Plattsburg.
Leek moths have become particularly troublesome to small-scale, organic growers in eastern Ontario and to commercial producers in western Quebec, who have limited insecticide options, according to Hannah Fraser, an entomologist from Ontario, Canada. There are currently no insecticides that can be legally applied to control this pest in New York.
For more information on pest biology, identification and crop damage, Cornell entomologists recommend the factsheet Leek Moth – A Pest of Allium Crops from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs.
Adapted from factsheet by Cornell entomologists Tony Shelton and Brian Nault.
