Cryptophlebia Walsingham (Tortricidae: Olethreutinae: Grapholitini)
The genus Cryptophlebia contains over 50 described species and is distributed in all regions except the Nearctic. Adults are moderately sized with brown forewings and variable, subdued patterns. Most species have a darker brown pretornal patch that is more pronounced in females. Males have a variety of sex scales on the legs, abdomen, and in special pockets on the hindwing. The male genitalia are characterized by swollen valvae with multiple long spines on the inner surface of the cucullus. The female genitalia are characterized by a ovate or V-shaped sterigma, an anterior widening of the ductus bursae, and two signa in the corpus bursae (Komai 1999Komai 1999:
Komai, F. 1999. A taxonomic review of the genus Grapholita and allied genera (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in the Palaearctic region. Entomologica Scandinavica Supplement 55. 226 pp.).
Cryptophlebia larvae are borers in seeds, nuts, fruits, pods, and stems. Larvae are whitish or pinkish with dark pinacula, and a brown head and prothoracic shield. An anal comb is absent in most species. The large prespiracular pinaculum on T1 extends under the spiracle and the spiracle on A8 is located on the posterodorsal margin of the segment; these two characters group Cryptophlebia larvae with other closely related genera such as Gymnandrosoma and Thaumatotibia.
This genus contains several important pest species. The three treated here, the koa seedworm (C. illepida), macadamia nut borer (C. ombrodelta), and litchi moth (C. peltastica ), are important pests of litchi and macadamia. Cryptophlebia larvae are intercepted very frequently at United States ports of entry, although it is likely that these are not distinguished from larvae of related species, such as false codling moth (Thaumatotibia leucotreta), which was previously placed in Cryptophlebia.
Exotic species
Authors: KA Austin, TM Gilligan, ME Epstein
Content last updated May 2025
idtools.org
TortAI tool images at ipmimages.org - ITP Node
