Light brown apple moth found

<p>A light brown apple moth, an invasive pest from Australia, has been found in Healdsburg for the first time.</p><p>Sonoma County Agricultural Commissioner Cathy Neville said Wednesday the single moth was found last week along Grove Street near the downtown.</p><p>Neville said her agency is alerting nearby grape growers of the find. But a second moth must be found nearby for the state to establish a quarantine area that would affect Healdsburg growers and nurseries.</p><p>The state already has set up a quarantine area in the southeastern part of the county and is setting the boundaries for another near Sebastopol.</p><p>State and federal officials confirmed the existence of the apple moth in California two years ago. Since then 71,000 such pests have been captured, mostly in the Bay Area and south to Monterey County. Twenty-four moths have been found in Sonoma County.</p><p>State and federal officials have deemed the insect a significant threat to agriculture and some native plants. They believe the larvae damages fruit by feeding on the plant surface. Critics, who dispute that the moth poses a threat, have called for the federal government to end the quarantines and the current eradication program.</p><p>-- Robert Digitale</p>