The flight capacity of Cydia pornonella L. (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) was measured in the laboratory by using computer-linked flight mills. Codling moths showed a large variation in flight capacity between individuals. We defined arbitrarily a longest single flight (LSF) of more than 5 km as an index for long-flyers. About 16.7% of virgin and 10.0% of mated males and 20.0% of virgin and 7.4% of mated females undertook such flights. Based on the LSF and the total distance flown (TDF),we concluded that males and females have little or no difference in flight capacity and that both the withinand between-habitat flights are similar in number and magnitude for both sexes. In the field, females are therefore potentially able to undertake flights of up to 1 1 km, as reported for males by other authors. This ability was highest at ages of 2-7 days after emergence, i.e. the frrst third of their lifetime, for virgin and mated male moths and for virgin female moths. Mated females showed peak flight capacity between 1 and 3 days after eclosion, which corresponded with the major egg-laying period. Few long flights were undertaken before oviposition. These findings do not agree with the oogenesis flight syndrome described by other authors, and this theory is believed not to apply to C.pomoneflu. Our laboratory results are discussed in relation to field experiments in general and hypotheses are developed about the significance of long-flyers for this species.
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