Proteoteras crescentana Kearfott (Tortricidae: Olethreutinae: Eucosmini)
Common names: northern boxelder twig borer moth, black-crescent Proteoteras
FWL: 7.0–9.0 mm
Head pale gray to pale orange-brown; thorax pale orange-brown; forewing with ground color dark gray, nearly black, rarely lightly suffused with green; fasciae pale gray suffused with dark gray; inner margin and subapical patch often with pale orange-brown shading; distinct, raised patches of scales present; strongly contrasting, dark crescent-shaped mark present from mid-costa to apex; male without forewing costal fold but with costal hair-pencil on dorsal surface of hindwing faintly margined with black scales on costal edge; hindwing of both sexes pale brown.
Male genitalia are characterized by a weakly developed uncus; lobe-like socii; valvae with well-developed cucullus and sacculus with two to three large, and flattened setae scarcely longer than regular setae on sacculus. Female genitalia are characterized by a narrowly grooved lamella postvaginalis, not widening anteriorly and corpus bursae with two signa.
The following account is summarized from Wong et al. (1983)Wong et al. (1983):
Wong, H. R., Drouin, J. A., Szlabey, D. L., Dang, P. T. 1983. Identification of three species of Proteoteras (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) attacking shoots of Manitoba maple in the Canadian prairies. Canadian Entomologist. 115: 333-339..
Mature larva approximately 13 mm in length; width of head approximately 1.5 mm; head reddish-brown with darker pigmentation laterally; thoracic shield yellowish-brown with darker pigmentation on lateral and posterior margins; legs light brown; anal shield yellowish-brown; body pale, pinacula pale brown, large and distinct; anal fork absent; SV group on A1, 2, 7, 8, 9 typically 3:3:2:2:1.
Pupa 9.0–11.0 mm in length; 1.7–2.8 mm in width; reddish brown.
A complete description of larval chaetotaxy and pupa morphology is available in Wong et al. (1983)Wong et al. (1983):
Wong, H. R., Drouin, J. A., Szlabey, D. L., Dang, P. T. 1983. Identification of three species of Proteoteras (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) attacking shoots of Manitoba maple in the Canadian prairies. Canadian Entomologist. 115: 333-339..
Proteoteras crescentana is similar to several other species of Proteoteras but can be identified by forewing being only faintly tinted with green, the strongly contrasting crescent mark from mid-costa to apex, and the dorsal surface of the male hindwing with only a small amount of black scaling around the costal hair-pencil. There are further differences in the male and female genitalia.
Proteoteras crescentana is broadly distributed in eastern North America, from Nova Scotia to Alberta, south to Georgia and eastern Texas.
The biology of Proteoteras crescentana is virtually identical to that of P. aesculana except that larvae of P. crescentana appear to exclusively use boxelder (Acer negundo), and there is a single generation per year, with adults active from late May to mid July.
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Authors: KA Austin, TM Gilligan, ME Epstein
Content last updated May 2025
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