They may also make nests among buds or blossoms. Larvae feed on plant parts enclosed by webbed leaves. Late in the season, dried blossom petals and pistils are webbed together and fastened to a leaf or fruit cluster to form a nest. When the moth is at rest, the folded wings flare out a little at the tip like a bell. Numbers of males and females are about equal.
Orange tortrix has four to seven generations per year.
The most frequent injury caused by orange tortrix occurs on terminal twigs in the outer canopy of the tree. Larvae feed on green bark and often girdle twigs. The injured area may be covered by white exudates from wounds. Large twigs may be girdled at the point of their attachment to larger branches. While not as common as terminal twig feeding, fruit feeding by larvae is much more serious because it reduces yield.