The first record of light brown apple moth, Epiphyas postvittana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), in Australian almonds

Light brown apple moth, Epiphyas postvittana (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), is a major pest of fruit crops, ornamentals and horticultural crops around the world. It is known to feed on over 70 plant species in Australia, where it is native, yet has never been recorded in almonds ( Prunus amygdalus Batsch) (Rosales: Rosaceae) in this country. In October 2023, E. postvittana was found in an almond crop (variety: Shasta) in Katunga, Victoria. Since then, it has been found on three other almond varieties (Carina, Vela and Pyrenees) in the same orchard. This almond orchard is in an area with average annual rainfall higher than typically found in Australian almond‐growing regions, is in proximity to nectarine and peach orchards, and uses a winter cover crop. Here, we confirmed the identification using morphological assessments as well as barcoding DNA from the pupal exuviae. Initially found in the hull and later the shell and kernel, to date, E. postvittana is not causing any significant crop damage. This detection indicates the need to regularly monitor crops and develop pre‐emptive pest management strategies to support the extension of almond production in Australia.