Published online by Cambridge University Press: 31 May 2012
In 1997, larvae of the cutworm moth, Ochropleura implecta Lafontaine, caused economic damage to cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon Aiton; Ericaceae) on several neighbouring farms in Richmond (49° 10′N, 123°07′W), British Columbia, Canada. This is the first report of O. implecta on cranberries. Published host records for O. implecta include willow and a variety of herbaceous plants, such as clover and endive (Crumb 1956; Lafontaine 1998), but there are no reports of pest status on any crop. On the affected cranberry farms, larvae partially consumed unripe and ripe berries in July and August. On one farm, damaged fruit was downgraded from fresh fruit sales to the juice market, resulting in an estimated loss of $40 000 Can.