Platynota stultana Walsingham (Tortricidae: Tortricinae: Sparganothini)
Common names: omnivorous leafroller
Synonyms: chiquitana (Platynota)
FWL: 4.5–7.0 mm (males); 6.5–9.0 mm (females)
Male forewings are usually dark brown on the basal half and golden brown on the distal half. Female forewings are more uniform golden brown to dark brown and markings are usually less distinct. Labial palpi are extremely elongate in both sexes. Males have a forewing costal fold. The hindwing is golden brown to pale brown.
Male genitalia are characterized by a long, spindle-shaped uncus, broadest at midpoint; large, setose socii; a spined transtilla; and broad, rounded valvae. Female genitalia are characterized by a broad, bowl-shaped sterigma and a minute, wrinkled sclerite near mid-dorsum of the corpus bursae.
The following account is summarized from MacKay (1962a)MacKay (1962a):
MacKay, M. R. 1962a. Larvae of the North American Tortricinae (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Canadian Entomologist, Supplement 28: 1-182..
Mature larva approximately 12–15 mm in length; width of head 1.1–1.3 mm; head brownish yellow, darker pigmentation present laterally; prothoracic shield concolorous, including black lateral markings; body yellowish white to cream with small, concolorous pinacula; anal shield concolorous with body or brown; anal fork present with 5–6 teeth; SV group on A1, 2, 7, 8, 9 numbering 3:3:3:2:2.
Detailed figures of larval chaetotaxy are available in MacKay (1962a)MacKay (1962a):
MacKay, M. R. 1962a. Larvae of the North American Tortricinae (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Canadian Entomologist, Supplement 28: 1-182..
Platynota stultana is similar to other Platynota species such as P. flavedana and P. rostrana. The forewing costal fold is generally smaller in P. stultana than in these other species. A genitalic dissection can be used to confirm identity.
MacKay (1962a)MacKay (1962a):
MacKay, M. R. 1962a. Larvae of the North American Tortricinae (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Canadian Entomologist, Supplement 28: 1-182. stated that larvae of Platynota could be separated from similar species of Sparganothis by the small dorsal pinacula on A1-8, which are slightly elongate and cream colored in living individuals.
Platynota stultana was described from Mexico and was possibly also native to Arizona. It has subsequently significantly expanded its range to include much of California (Powell 1983aPowell 1983a:
Powell, J. A. 1983a. Expanding geographical and ecological range of Platynota stultana in California (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Pan-Pacific Entomologist. 59: 233-239.), southern Texas, Florida (where it is now established). It has also been sporadically reported from Virginia, Washington, D.C., North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Colorado.
Platynota stultana has been introduced to the Hawaiian Islands (Miller and Hodges 1995Miller and Hodges 1995:
Miller, S. E., Hodges, R. W. 1995. Platynota stultana , the omnivorous leaf-roller, established in the Hawaiian Islands (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 42: 36-39.) where it has been collected on Oʻahu, Lānaʻi, Kahoʻolawe, Maui, and Hawaiʻi (Austin and Rubinoff 2022Austin and Rubinoff 2022:
Austin, K.A., Rubinoff, D. 2022. Eleven new records of Lepidoptera in the Hawaiian Islands including corrections to the Hawaii Terrestrial Arthropod Checklist. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 142: 49&-74.). It has recently been reported from Europe (Powell and Brown 2012Powell and Brown 2012:
Powell, J. A., Brown, J. W. 2012. Tortricoidea, Tortricidae (part): Tortricinae (part): Sparganothini and Atteriini. In: Hodges, R. W. (ed.). The Moths of North America, fascicle 8.1. Wedge Entomological Research Foundation, Washington, D.C., 230 pp.).
The following account is summarized from AliNiazee and Stafford (1972b), Atkins et al. (1957a)Atkins et al. (1957a):
Atkins, E. L., Frost, M. H., Anderson, L. D. Deal, A. S. 1957a. The omnivorous leaf roller, Platynota stultana Wlshm., on cotton in California: nomenclature, life history, and bionomics (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 50: 251-259., and Powell and Brown (2012)Powell and Brown (2012):
Powell, J. A., Brown, J. W. 2012. Tortricoidea, Tortricidae (part): Tortricinae (part): Sparganothini and Atteriini. In: Hodges, R. W. (ed.). The Moths of North America, fascicle 8.1. Wedge Entomological Research Foundation, Washington, D.C., 230 pp..
Platynota stultana completes 4–6 generations per year. Adults may be present year round over much of its range.
Eggs are laid in masses containing an average of 97 individual eggs per mass. Newly hatched larvae move towards the top of the plant and feed within a bud or between two leaves. Young larvae may also disperse to other hosts by ballooning in the wind on a silk thread. Later instars feed within a shelter constructed of rolled or folded leaves. Larvae complete 5–6 instars in a period of 20–30 days (in greenhouse conditions). Third through fifth instar larvae of the last generation overwinter in webbed nests. Pupation takes place in a rolled leaf.
Larvae of P. stultana are highly polyphagous and have been recorded feeding on plants in more than 20 families. This species can be a serious pest in greenhouses and vineyards and economically important hosts include alfalfa (Medicago sativa), citrus (Citrus spp.), corn (Zea mays), cotton (Gossypium spp.), grape (Vitis spp.), peach (Prunus persica), pear (Pyrus spp.), and pepper (Capsicum spp.). As P. stultana expanded its range into northern California it appears to also have greatly expanded its host range onto a wide variety of non-native plants. It is recorded from only a few native plants in California.
View full screen host table here
Authors: KA Austin, TM Gilligan, ME Epstein
Content last updated May 2025
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