Rudenia leguminana

Status

NATIVE

PORT INTERCEPT | DOMESTIC SURVEY

Taxonomy

Rudenia leguminana (Busck) (Tortricidae: Tortricinae: Cochylini)

Common name: black-tipped Rudenia moth

Note: There are several undescribed species of Rudenia, which have only recently been recognized as distinct from true R. legiminana. For the purposes of this site, we treat this entire species complex as a single entity.

Adult Recognition

FWL: 6.0–7.0 mm

Head, thorax gray with intermixed white and black scales; ground color of forewing dark gray to black; conspicuous wide, white, L-shaped marking present from base of inner margin to one-third length of costa and then to two-thirds length of costa; terminal portion of forewing black or dark brown with patches of orange-pink scales sometimes present along fringe; male without forewing costal fold; hindwing pale brown.

Male and female genitalia have not been figured in the published literature, but brief descriptions of related species of Rudenia are available in Razowski (1994)Razowski (1994):
Razowski, J. 1994. Synopsis of the Neotropical Cochylini (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia. 37: 121-320.. 

Larval Morphology

Larval morphology and chaetotaxy has not been described in the published literature for Rudenia leguminana. 

Similar Species

Rudenia leguminana is a fairly distinct species, and no Nearctic tortricids are likely to be confused with it beyond other members of the Rudenia leguminana complex. Preliminary studies have shown few differences in forewing maculation and genitalia between members of this complex; positive identification may require molecular diagnostic tools.

Distribution

The Rudenia leguminana complex is widespread in North America, with records from Massachusetts and southern Ontario to Florida, and from the midwestern United States. to California. It is especially abundant in xeric areas of the southwestern United States. It has additional records from Venezuela, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and throughout Mexico. Based on molecular data, the range of true R. leguminana (type locality: Washington, D.C.) is likely restricted to the eastern United States as far west as Kansas, Oklahoma, and eastern Texas.

Biology

The following account is summarized from Brown et al. (2011)Brown et al. (2011):
Brown, J. W., Segura, R., Santiago-Jimenez, Q., Rota, J., Heard, T. A. 2011. Tortricid moths (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) reared from the invasive weed Parkinsonia aculeata (Fabaceae), with comments on their host specificity, biology, and geographic distribution. Journal of Insect Science. 11(7): 1-17..

Eggs are laid on the leaves and tips of other vegetative parts of the host plant. First instar larvae feed inside the rachis before moving on to tunnel in the axil. Larvae live in the tunnel during the days and emerge from it at night to feed externally on the pinnules and rachis of the leaves. Pupation usually occurs in the tunnel shelters, but also in stems, flowers, and pods. Adults can be found from April to September in the eastern and northern United States, and virtually year-round in Texas, Florida, and Central America.

Members of the Rudenia leguminana complex are specialists on the Fabaceae. A USDA/APHIS interceptionsUSDA/APHIS interceptions:
USDA/APHIS interceptions. Based on larvae intercepted by USDA-APHIS personnel at U.S. ports-of-entry and identified by Systematic Entomology Laboratory personnel. report lists it from Psidium guajava (Myrtaceae), but this is questionable and requires confirmation.

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.