Biology and management of red clover casebearer moth, coleophora deauratella, (Lepidoptera: Coleophoridae) in red clover seed growing regions in North America and New Zealand

Authors: KAUR, NAVNEET - Oregon State University; ANDERSON, NICOLE - Oregon State University; Dorman, Seth; WALENTA, DARRIN - Oregon State University; TANNER, CHRISTY - Oregon State University; MORI, BOYD - University Of Alberta; OTANI, JENNIFER - Agriculture And Agri-Food Canada; SIM, RICHARD - Pyne Gould Guinness Limited And Agricom Limited (PGG) Wrightson Seeds; ROLSTON, PHIL - Foundation For Arable Research (FAR); FAULKNER, JOEL - Foundation For Arable Research (FAR)

Submitted to: International Journal of Pest Management
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/25/2024
Publication Date: 2/26/2024
Citation: Kaur, N., Anderson, N.P., Dorman, S.J., Walenta, D.L., Tanner, C.K., Mori, B., Otani, J.K., Sim, R., Rolston, P.M., Faulkner, J. 2024. Biology and management of red clover casebearer moth, coleophora deauratella, (Lepidoptera: Coleophoridae) in red clover seed growing regions in North America and New Zealand. International Journal of Pest Management. 15(1):1-8. https://doi.org/10.1093/jipm/pmae002.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jipm/pmae002

Interpretive Summary: Red clover is a perennial forage legume grown for seed in the most temperate regions of the world. The red clover casebearer moth is a significant insect pest occurring globally in all primary red clover seed-producing regions. The red clover casebearer moth inflicts crop damage by immature life stages (i.e., larvae) feeding inside the developing flower head, hampering seed development. The first detection of red clover casebearer outbreaks and crop yield losses of up to 90% were reported in the Peace region of Alberta, in western Canada, in 2006, signifying its damage and potential threat to other red clover seed-producing areas of the world. As a result, crop stand age was reduced to one year to mitigate seed yield loss caused by this pest in second-year fields in Alberta. The red clover casebearer was first discovered in western Oregon in 2011, but the resulting economic damage remains unknown after more than a decade of its discovery. The first confirmed case of red clover casebearer infestations and seed yield loss in red clover seed crops in the mid-Cantebury region of New Zealand occurred in 2016. Continued monitoring efforts in Oregon and New Zealand revealed that pest populations started receding after 2018, and the presence of biological control agents (insect predators) or crop genetic factors is speculated for lower red clover casebearer populations in recent years. In this paper, we discuss red clover casebearer biology, ecology, and pest status in North America and New Zealand, along with the key research highlights to control this pest.

Technical Abstract: Red clover (Trifolium pratense L.), a perennial forage legume belonging to the Fabaceae family, is grown for seed in the most temperate regions of the world. The red clover casebearer, Coleophora deauratella Leinig, and Zeller (Lepidoptera: Coleophoridae) is a significant insect pest occurring globally in all primary red clover seed-producing regions. Coleophora deauratella inflicts crop damage by larval feeding inside the developing inflorescence, hampering seed development. The first detection of C. deauratella and yield losses up to 90% were reported in the Peace region of Alberta, in western Canada, in 2006, signifying its damage and potential threat to other red clover seed-producing areas of the world. As a result, crop stand age was reduced to one year to mitigate seed yield loss caused by this pest in second-year fields in Alberta. Coleophora deauratella was first discovered in western Oregon in 2011, but the resulting economic damage remains unknown after more than a decade of its discovery. The first confirmed case of C. deauratella and seed yield loss in red clover seed crops in the mid-Cantebury region of New Zealand occurred in 2016. Continued monitoring efforts in Oregon and New Zealand revealed that pest populations started receding after 2018, and the presence of unknown biocontrol agents or genetic factors is speculated for its lower establishment rate in recent years. In this paper, we discuss C. deauratella biology, ecology, and pest status in North America and New Zealand, along with the key research highlights to control C. deauratella.