J. Ky. Acad. Sci. 73(2);110-] 12. 2012. The Pawpaw Peduncle Borer, Talponia plummeriana Busck (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae): A Pest of Pawpaw Fruit John D. Sedlacek,^ Jeremiah D. Lowe, Kirk W. Pomper, Karen L. Friley, and Sheri B. Crabtree CollegeofAgriculture,FoodScienceandSustainableSystems.CRS,KentuckyStateUniversity, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601 ABSTRACT Thepawpawpeduncleborer, TalponiaplummerianaBusck(Lepidoptera: Torticidae), isapestofpawpaw flowersoftenboringintothepeduncleandcausingflowerdrop.Herewedocumentthefirstoccurrenceof thisinsectinfestingripepawpawfruit.InfestedfruitthathadbeencollectedattlieKentuckyStateUniversity ResearchandDemonstrationFarminFranklinCounty,Kentuckyweredissectedandsmalltancolored larvaewithbrownheadcapsuleswerediscoveredinthefruit.Pa\\y>awpeduncleboreradultswerereared fromfruitheldatroomtemperatureinthelaborator)^. KEYWORDS:Asiminatrilobafruitpest.Pawpawpeduncleborer INTRODUCTION The North American pawpaw, Asimina triloba (L.) Dunal is a tree-fruit in the early stages of commercial production. It has had few reported pest problems. Paw^3aws are native to mesic hardwood forests of 26 states ill the eastern United States, including Ken- tucky (Lagrange and Tramer 1985; Chester et al. 1995) and surrounding states (Rheinhardt and Rheinhardt 2000; Larimore et al. 2003). Its full range extends from northern Florida to southern Ontario (Canada) and as far west as eastern Nebraska (Krai 1960). This small, deciduous tree may attain a height of five to ten m and tends to be found in patches (Layne 1996). Pawpaws are often found growing as understoiy trees in the deep, rich fertile soils of river-bottom lands (Krai I960; Young and Yavitt 1987; Callaway 1990; Callaway 1993; Pomper et al. 2009). Pauyjaw trees flower from April through May in Kentucky and are pollinated by flies and beetles (Faegri and van der Fiji 1971). One recognized pest, the pawpaw peduncle borer, Talponia plmmneriana Busck, is a moth in the family Tortricidae. Pawpaw peduncle borer adults are approximately six mm in length with gray speckled wings and a wide copper band at the distal portion of the wings. The laiwae have been previously documented to feed only on pawpaw flower peduncles ' Corresponding autlior e-mail: iohn.sedlacek@k)^su.edu (Bratcli 2009). The larvae bore into the flower and peduncle eventually killing the flower. In the orchards of the Kentucky State University Pawpaw Research Program, a small number of unripe and ripe pawpaw fruit showed evidence of feeding activity from an unknown fruit borer (Figure 1) causing ex- tensive internal injury to the fruit (Pomper et al. 2008). Thus, the objective of this project was to determine the insect species responsi- ble for damage to the fruit of pawpaw. MATERIALS AND METHODS Ripe pawpaw fruit were collected in mid- August from those that had fallen from trees in orchards located at the Kentucky State University Research and Demonstration Earm located in Franklin County, KY. Three fruit were placed into each of two one-liter plastic vegetable crispers (six total fruit) and incubat- ed at room temperature in the laboratory until moths had emerged (Figure 2). We used the BugGuide Internet Identification Website (2010) and North American Moth Photogra- phers Group: Talponia plummeriana (2007) to identify adults. Digital photographs of adults were sent to Dr. Charles Covell, Florida Museum of Natural Histoiy, McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Gainesville, FL for identification confirmation. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Approximately 10 individual pawpaw pedun- cle borer adults were reared from die fruit. Adults emerged from fmit were identified as no