Life cycle and appearance of Carnation tortrix

Male carnation leafrollers are good fliers and are active diurnally, unlike most leafrollers, which mainly fly at dusk and after dark. The females have a limited flight capacity and only cover short distances. The moth is rather small. The contrasting colours between the yellow to purple forewings (with a dark brown band in the females and two red bands in the males) and the hindwings (bright orange) ensure that the moths of the species are easy to recognize. This colour pattern is most easily observed in the males during flight, and ads in distinguishing the carnation tortrix (Cacoecimorpha pronubana) from the cabbage leafroller (Clepsis spectrana).

Each female of the carnation tortrix (Cacoecimorpha pronubana) is capable of laying up to 700 eggs, deposited in batches of 10 to 200 on the upper surface of leaves or on other greenhouse materials. At first, the eggs are a light green colour, later becoming yellow. They have a flattened oval to round shape.

Caterpillars have an olive-green to bright or yellow green colour, with a black head that later turns yellowish brown with dark spots. After emerging, they move or are carried by wind to the young growing points or flowers where they spin silk around terminal leaves or petals.