Crocidosema lantana

Status

NATIVE

PORT INTERCEPT | DOMESTIC SURVEY

Taxonomy

Crocidosema lantana Busck (Tortricidae: Olethreutinae: Eucosmini)

Common name: lantana flower-cluster moth

Synonyms: corynetes (Epinotia), eridela (Eucosma), perversa (Eucosma), phaedropa (Eucosma), polyphaea (Eucosma), tornocosma (Eucosma)

Adult Recognition

FWL: 4.0–6.0 mm

Head, thorax light brown to brown; forewing with ground color light brown to brown; ocellus surrounded by white-gray scaling; dark brown to black triangle present anterior of ocellus, sometimes continuing along much of inner margin (this area sometimes white instead); costal strigulae short, white; male with large, well-developed costal fold; hindwing brown.

Male genitalia are characterized by a short uncus; semicircular, free socii; valvae with a large basal excavation, saccular angle approximately 90 degrees, and a moderate cucullus. Female genitalia are characterized by narrow papillae anales; a bilobed sterigma with small ostium; a ring of fine sclerites around base of corpus bursae; and two large, opposed, blade-like signa.

Larval Morphology

The following account is summarized from Perkins and Swezey (1924)Perkins and Swezey (1924):
Perkins, R.C.L., Swezey, O.H. 1924. The introduction into Hawaii of insects that attack lantana. Bulletin of the Hawaii Sugar Association, Entomology, Ser. 16. 83 pp..

Mature larva approximately 6 mm in length; head black; prothoracic shield with a black spot; body brownish gray with a slight red tinge; anal fork present; SV group on A1, 2, 7, 8, 9 usually 3:3:2:2:2.

Detailed figures of larval chaetotaxy are available in Zimmerman (1978)Zimmerman (1978):
Zimmerman, E. C. 1978. Insects of Hawaii, Volume 9, Microlepidoptera, Part 1. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, Hawaii. 881 pp..

Pupa brown, approximately 5 mm in length.

Similar Species

Crocidosema lantana is very similar to members of the C. plebejana complex. Members of this complex average larger than C. lantana and lack a costal fold but possess a larger, denser cubital pecten in the hindwing. In addition, the cucullus of the male valva of C. plebejana is very different: almost triangular in shape and with large spines near the apex. The females of C. plebejana are quite distinct as well: a simpler sterigma; ring of fine sclerites around base of ductus bursae absent; and smaller signa.

Distribution

Crocidosema lantana is native to Florida, Central America, and the Caribbean. It has been widely introduced around the world as a biological control agent for Lantana. It is present in Kenya, South Africa, Madagascar, China, Sri Lanka, Australia, Hawaii, and several islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Biology

Little else is known about the life cycle of Crocidosema lantana except for the following account summarized from Perkins and Swezey (1924)Perkins and Swezey (1924):
Perkins, R.C.L., Swezey, O.H. 1924. The introduction into Hawaii of insects that attack lantana. Bulletin of the Hawaii Sugar Association, Entomology, Ser. 16. 83 pp.. 

Eggs are laid in the flower heads of the host plant, often Lantana, before the blossoms open. Larvae bore into the growing shoots of the host plant but also feed in the flower heads and fruit. Adults and larvae can be found year-round in Hawaii (UHIM collectionUHIM collection:
UHIM collection. Based on identified reared specimens in the collection of the University of Hawaii Insect Museum, Honolulu, HI).

Plant Associations

View full screen host table here

Links

Additional photos and a distribution map of this species in North America are available at Moth Photographers Group.