Argyresthia conjugella, the apple fruit moth, is a moth of the family Yponomeutidae. It is found in North America, Europe,[1] Siberia, Central Asia and Japan.
The wingspan is 10–14 mm. The head is yellowish-white. Forewings are rather dark purplish-fuscous; costa strigulated with whitish; a thick white dorsal streak to tornus; an interrupted dark fuscous median fascia; one or two white costal spots before apex. Hindwings are grey. The larva is dull whitish yellow; head and plate of 2 pale brown.[2]
Adults are on wing from May to July depending on the location.
The larvae feed on Sorbus aucuparia and Malus species.
The apple fruit moth, is seen to be a parasite for the apple growing communities in Finland, Norway, and Sweden. These moths are seed predators for the mountain-ash trees rowan.[3] However, when there is a dip in the fruit produced by rowan every couple years in this region, the apple fruit moth finds a new host in the form of apples. Apples are not their desired host however and they communicate with the rowan seeds they prefer through odors.[4]