Clepsis spectrana (Treitschke) (Tortricidae: Tortricinae: Archipini)
Common names: cyclamen tortrix, straw-colored tortrix
Synonyms: fuliginosana (Cacoecia costana ab.), intermedia (Tortrix costana var.), larseni (Cacoecia costana ab.), latiorana (Tortrix), liverana (Tortrix costana var.), vinculana (Tortrix)
FWL: 7.0–12.0 mm
Forewings are pale yellow to tan with brown to dark-brown markings. Most individuals have a costal spot, a median fascia that is well defined from the costa to 1/3 the distance to the dorsum, and dark-brown to black irrorations. Forewing coloration and pattern can vary extensively, and immaculate and melanic forms have been described. Males have a forewing costal fold.
Male genitalia are characterized by are parallel-sided uncus; reduced socii; an incomplete, spined transtilla; and membranous valvae. Female genitalia are characterized by a long, thin ductus bursae without a cestum; and a dagger-like signum in the corpus bursae.
The following account is summarized from Swatschek (1958)Swatschek (1958):
Swatschek, B. 1958. Die larval systematik der wickler (Tortricidae und Carposinidae) aus dem zoologischen Institut der Universitat Erlangen. Akademie-Verlag, Berlin. 269 pp. [Abhandlungen zur larvalsystematik Insekten 3.].
Mature larvae 18–25 mm in length; head, prothoracic shield dark brown to black; body brown to olive green with conspicuous whitish pinacula and a pale subspiracular lateral line; anal fork present with 6–8 long teeth.
In the Nearctic, Clepsis spectrana is most likely to be confused with C. fucana. Males of the two species are easily separated by the costal fold that is present in C. spectrana and absent in C. fucana. Females can be separated by the presence of a signum in the corpus bursae of C. spectrana; C. fucana females lack a signum.
Males have been captured in pheromone traps using pheromones from several other species, including Cacoecimorpha pronubana and Pandemis heparana.
Clepsis spectrana is widely distributed across Europe, ranging as far east as Turkey and Kazakhstan. The earliest record in North America is a single specimen collected in British Columbia in 1950. It was "rediscovered" feeding on raspberry (Rubus spp.), currant (Ribes spp.), spruce (Picea spp.), and cedar (Cedrus spp.) in the early 1990s in British Columbia, and the first United States record was collected in Washington in 1997. It is currently present in British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon, although it has not yet reached pest status. A second introduction subsequently established this species in Quebec and New Brunswick (Gilligan et al. 2020bGilligan et al. 2020b:
Gilligan T. M., Brown, J. W., Baixeras, J. 2020b. Immigrant Tortricidae: Holarctic versus Introduced Species in North America. Insects. 11(9): 1-59.), and it can be expected in the northeastern United States along the Canadian border.
Larvae of C. spectrana are commonly intercepted at United States ports of entry on peppers (Capsicum) and cut flowers arriving from the Netherlands.
The following account is summarized from Dang et al. (1996)Dang et al. (1996):
Dang, P., Duncan, R., Fitzpatrick, S. 1996. Occurrence of two palearctic species of Clepsis Guenee, C. spectrana Trietschke and C. consimilana (Hubner) (Tortricidae), in British Columbia, Canada. Journal of the Lepidopterists#39; Society. 50: 321-328..
Clepsis spectrana completes 2–3 annual generations. Adults are present in May to July and again in August and September.
Females lay eggs in small masses on the host plant. Larvae feed in webbed leaves or flowers, and may cause considerable damage to foliage and developing fruits. Mid-instar larvae of the second or third generation overwinter until the following spring. Pupation occurs in the final larval shelter or in dead leaves.
Larvae are polyphagous and have been recorded feeding on plants in more than a dozen families. In Europe, C. spectrana is an important pest of strawberry (Fragaria spp.), blackberry (Rubus spp.), hops (Humulus lupulus), and blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum). It is also a serious pest of floriculture in greenhouses and has been recorded damaging a variety of flowering and ornamental plants.
View full screen host table here
Authors: KA Austin, TM Gilligan, ME Epstein
Content last updated May 2025
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