Lorita scarificata

Status

NATIVE

DOMESTIC SURVEY

Taxonomy

Lorita scarificata (Meyrick) (Tortricidae: Tortricinae: Cochylini)

Common names: chrysanthemum flower borer moth

Synonyms: abornana (Lorita), chatka (Lorita abornana ssp.)

Adult Recognition

FWL: 3.5–4.5 mm (males); 3.9–5.2 mm (females)

Forewing with ground color pale yellow to cream, fasciae irregular, indistinct, often with warm brown scales in patches; dark brown to black scales scattered across forewing. Hindwing pale brown. Males possess a prominent ventral scoop-like projection on the 6th sternite (Pogue 1988Pogue 1988:
Pogue, M. G. 1988. Revision of the genus Lorita Busck (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Cochylini), with a description of a new species. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 90. 440-457.).

Male genitalia are characterized by a thin uncus; socii present as thumb-like lobes; valvae forming a right angle at base of dorsum; phallus large, with ventrally-produced spine and numerous minute cornuti scattered across vesica. Female genitalia are characterized by the basal two-thirds of ductus bursae well-sclerotized, corpus bursae without signum (Pogue 1988Pogue 1988:
Pogue, M. G. 1988. Revision of the genus Lorita Busck (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Cochylini), with a description of a new species. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 90. 440-457.). 

Larval Morphology

The following account is summarized from Pogue (1988)Pogue (1988):
Pogue, M. G. 1988. Revision of the genus Lorita Busck (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Cochylini), with a description of a new species. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 90. 440-457..

Mature larva 4.8–6.4 mm. Head brown, prothoracic shield concolorous. SD2 minute, only present on segment 8; ninth segment with D1 and SD1 on same pinaculum; L group consisting of 2 setae, L1 and L2; SV3 only present on segment 6; SV1 and SV3 absent on segment 9.

A complete morphological description of the larva and pupa is provided in Pogue (1988)Pogue (1988):
Pogue, M. G. 1988. Revision of the genus Lorita Busck (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Cochylini), with a description of a new species. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 90. 440-457..

Length of pupa 5.6–5.7 mm.

Similar Species

Lorita scarificata could be confused with several other species of Cochylini, but genitalia should serve to separate Lorita from other genera. Lorita baccharivora is similar, but males of that species possess a hindwing costal fold, which L. scarificata lacks.

Distribution

Lorita scarificata is broadly distributed in the Neotropics, with records from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Antigua, Venezuela, Guyana, and Brazil. It has been reported from the United States from Florida, Texas, and California and has been introduced into Hawaii (Pogue 1988Pogue 1988:
Pogue, M. G. 1988. Revision of the genus Lorita Busck (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Cochylini), with a description of a new species. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 90. 440-457.).

Biology

Lorita scarificata has been reported from several plants, but is most noteworthy for its use of peppers (Capsicum spp.), which it damages by boring into the stalks and capsules. Despite its common name, only one report exists for it using Chrysanthemum (in Hawaii; Pogue 1988Pogue 1988:
Pogue, M. G. 1988. Revision of the genus Lorita Busck (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Cochylini), with a description of a new species. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 90. 440-457.).

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.