Pseudargyrotoza conwagana

Status

EXOTIC

PORT INTERCEPT

Taxonomy

Pseudargyrotoza conwagana (Fabricius) (Tortricidae: Tortricinae: Cnephasiini)

Common names: yellow-spot tortrix, yellow-spot twist

Synonyms: aeratana (Tortrix), conwayana (Phalaena (Tortrix)), deficiens (Argyrotoxa), erebina (Tortrix conwayana [sic!] ab.), hoffmannseggana (Cochylis), hoffmanseggana (Agapeta), hoffmanseggiana (Tortrix), hofmanseggana (Tortrix), montana (Phalaena), spixiana (Tortix), subaurantiana (Argyrotoza), subaurantiana (Commophila)

Adult Recognition

FWL: 5–6 mm

Adults are yellow to orange, often with black scaling on apical half of forewing. There are several rows of large silvery blue dots. Labial palpi are moderate in length and porrect. The hindwings are dark gray. Males have moderately long cilia on the antennae and lack a forewing costal fold.

Male genitalia are characterized by a club-like uncus; upcurved, slender valvae with a conspicuous finger-like extension along the sacculus; and a well-sclerotized juxta. Female genitalia are characterized by a bowl-shaped sterigma and a corpus bursae without signa.

Larval Morphology

The following account is summarized from Swatschek (1958)Swatschek (1958):
Swatschek, B. 1958. Die larval systematik der wickler (Tortricidae und Carposinidae) aus dem zoologischen Institut der Universitat Erlangen. Akademie-Verlag, Berlin. 269 pp. [Abhandlungen zur larvalsystematik Insekten 3.].

Head, prothoracic shield brownish-yellow, body yellowish, pinacula weakly developed; SV group on A1, 2, 7, 8, 9 typically 3:2:1:1:1.

A more complete description of larval chaetotaxy is available in Swatschek (1958)Swatschek (1958):
Swatschek, B. 1958. Die larval systematik der wickler (Tortricidae und Carposinidae) aus dem zoologischen Institut der Universitat Erlangen. Akademie-Verlag, Berlin. 269 pp. [Abhandlungen zur larvalsystematik Insekten 3.].

Similar Species

Similar forewing patterns exist in some species of Olethreutes, such as O. astrologana, but the genitalia are distinct.

Distribution

Pseudargyrotoza conwagana occurs throughout much of the Holarctic region, with records from most of Europe, as well as Russia, Turkey, China, South Korea, and Japan (Byun et al. 2003Byun et al. 2003:
Byun, B., Yan, S., Li, C.-D. 2003. Revision of Tribe Archipini (Tortricidae: Tortricinae) in Northeast China. Journal of Forestry Research. 14: 93-102.).

Biology

In the UK, eggs are laid in mid summer, with larvae hatching shortly afterwards. Larvae roll a single leaf of the host plant and feed on the leaf from within. Swatschek (1958)Swatschek (1958):
Swatschek, B. 1958. Die larval systematik der wickler (Tortricidae und Carposinidae) aus dem zoologischen Institut der Universitat Erlangen. Akademie-Verlag, Berlin. 269 pp. [Abhandlungen zur larvalsystematik Insekten 3.] and Kuznetzov (1973)Kuznetzov (1973):
Kuznetzov, V.I. 1973. Leaf-rollers (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae) of the southern part of the Soviet Far East and their seasonal cycles. Trudy Vses. Entomol. Obshch. 56: 44-161. reported that this species feeds on fruits and seeds and only rolls leaves to pupate or as a shelter after feeding. Pupae overwinter in the soil, emerging from May to early July. A second generation may occur if conditions are suitable.

Pseudargyrotoza conwagana is oligophagous on plants in the family Oleaceae. A record from Berberis requires confirmation, as this would represent a second host plant family for this species.

Plant Associations

View full screen host table here