Technical Abstract: Codling moth (CM), Cydia pomonella, larvae cause severe damage apples, pears and walnuts worldwide by internal feeding and the introduction of molds and spoilage micro-organisms. CM neonate larvae are attracted to and arrested by a pear-derived kairomone, ethyl (2E,4Z)-2,4-decadienoate, the “pear ester” (PE). As a spray additive, microencapsulated formulation of PE (PE-MEC) has enhanced the efficacy of insecticides against CM. PE-MEC formulation allows for picogram/hr emission of PE for an estimated 2.5 – 3 weeks. Reported here are the laboratory behavioral activities of neonate CM larvae to applications on either filter paper or apple-leaf surfaces of treatments of PE-MEC compared to a water-alone control. PE-MEC was applied at a dilute, 1/32,000 dose, equivalent to the specified field spray application rate. When applied in a dual-choice test to half zones of filter paper, the PE-MEC treatment elicited strong attraction and significantly longer time spent on treated surfaces than controls. The effects of attraction and prolonged occupation time were observed in repeated experiments for up to 14 days of aging and evaporative loss of PE from the filter papers. When applied to entire apple leaves, PE-MEC caused significant changes in neonate orientation preferences over the water-alone control, eliciting more frequent and significantly longer time periods of stopping or arrestment. PE-MEC also affected neonates’ ability to find their way up to the leaf base and onto the stem – petiole. PE-MEC elicited significantly longer time for larvae to progress 2/3 the distance up the leaf and only 10% of the released larvae found the leaf base, while over 80% were successful on the water –alone treated leaves. Effects of PE-MEC on extended crawling time, turning, and arrestment by CM larvae, suggests that it promotes “larval wandering” and greater temporal – spatial exposure of neonates on leaves that could disrupt fruit/nut finding and enhance mortality by increasing the exposure to insecticides.