Larvae pupate inside a webbed shelter. Adults of the overwintering generation emerge in March. Eggs are laid in overlapping rows that resemble fish scales. The first generation of eggs usually is laid on weed hosts, and adults from this generation emerge in May or June to lay eggs in orchards on leaves and fruit. Larvae have the characteristic behavior of wriggling backward when disturbed and dropping from a silk thread attached to the leaf or fruit surface.
Infestations are often spotty, making monitoring difficult.
This pest has two to four generations per year depending on climatic conditions. They feed on leaves and on the surface of fruit, sometimes webbing one or more leaves to the fruit for protection. They chew shallow holes or grooves in the fruit surface, often near the stem end. The damage is similar to that caused by orange tortrix. Larvae feed where fruit are touching, so entire clusters can be damaged.