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Gardener Finds Plum Fruit Moth Larvae in Victoria Plums

By Drooid · Sep 14, 2026, 10:14 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Gardener in southern England found plum fruit moth larvae infesting Victoria plums.
Female Grapholita funebrana moths lay eggs on developing fruit in mid-summer.
Hatching caterpillars burrow into the flesh, producing pink bodies and bitter-tasting frass.
Infested plums appear slightly misshapen and exude clear sticky sap from gummosis.
Gardener removed dropped fruit and later discovered live caterpillars on the compost bin lid.

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Story summary

Gardener in southern England found plum fruit moth larvae infesting Victoria plums.
Female Grapholita funebrana moths lay eggs on developing fruit in mid-summer.
Hatching caterpillars burrow into the flesh, producing pink bodies and bitter-tasting frass.
Infested plums appear slightly misshapen and exude clear sticky sap from gummosis.
Gardener removed dropped fruit and later discovered live caterpillars on the compost bin lid.