Codling Moth vs Pink Wax Scale Whitefly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Codling Moth Pink Wax Scale Whitefly
Scientific Name Cydia pomonella Aleurocanthus woglumi
Order Lepidoptera Hemiptera
Family Tortricidae Aleyrodidae
Size 14-22 mm wingspan 1-1.5 mm
Habitat Orchards Orchards
Diet Fruit Feeders Herbivores
Regions Worldwide (cosmopolitan) Asia (native), Americas, Africa (invasive)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Codling Moth

A small grey-brown moth whose larvae are the proverbial worm in the apple. It is the most economically important pest of apples worldwide.

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Did You Know?

It was one of the first insects to develop resistance to DDT in the 1940s.

Pink Wax Scale Whitefly

Known as the citrus blackfly, this whitefly has dark sooty-colored pupae that distinguish it from other whitefly species. Heavy infestations coat leaves in thick black sooty mold.

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Did You Know?

It was successfully controlled in many countries using the parasitoid wasp Amitus hesperidum, one of the classic triumphs of biological pest control.