Seticosta rubicola

Status

EXOTIC

PORT INTERCEPT

Taxonomy

Seticosta rubicola Brown & Nishida (Tortricidae: Tortricinae: Cochylini)

Adult Recognition

FWL: 5.0–8.5 mm

Adults are tan, brown, or reddish brown with white and yellow-green markings. Labial palpi are extremely elongate in both sexes. Males have long cilia on the antennae, a hair-pencil on the foreleg, and lack a forewing costal fold. The hindwing is white with pale brown strigulae.

Male genitalia are characterized by the uncus bearing a pair a subdistal pointed processes, giving it a trifurcate appearance; and valvae with a moderately developed sacculus and long, spine-like setae on ventral margin. Female genitalia are characterized by ostium simple, small; ductus bursae short; signum absent in the corpus bursae.

Larval Morphology

The following account is summarized from Brown and Nishida (2003)Brown and Nishida (2003):
Brown, J. W., Nishida, K. 2003. First record of larval endophagy in Euliini (Tortricidae): a new species of Seticosta from Costa Rica. Journal of the Lepidopterists#39; Society. 57: 113-120..

Mature larva approximately 12–13 mm in length; head black in early instars before becoming orange with black lateral markings in final instars; prothoracic shield brownish yellow to reddish brown with pale-brown mottling; abdomen maroon (becoming lighter after each successive molt) with dark, large, conspicuous pinacula.

Detailed figures of larval chaetotaxy are available in Brown and Nishida (2003)Brown and Nishida (2003):
Brown, J. W., Nishida, K. 2003. First record of larval endophagy in Euliini (Tortricidae): a new species of Seticosta from Costa Rica. Journal of the Lepidopterists#39; Society. 57: 113-120..

Similar Species

Seticosta rubicola is similar in forewing pattern to other species of Seticosta, including S. aeolozona, S. arachnogramma, S. tridens, and S. tambomachaya. Male S. rubicola can be distinguished from these other species by a pair of lateral processes near the distal end of the uncus and the lack of a dense patch of setae on the costa of the valva.

Larvae are distinguished by a combination of tortricine and olethreutine characters: SD1 and D1 on a shared pinaculum on A9; bisetose SV-group on A7; SD2 and SD1 on separate pinacula on A1-8; V setae on A9 widely separated; meso- and metathorax with extra SD, L, SV, and V setae; A1-8 with extra D and V setae; D pinacula on A2-5 notched; and L pinaculum on prothorax ventrad of the spiracle

Distribution

Seticosta rubicola has been reported from Costa Rica and Guatemala.

Biology

The following account is summarized from Brown and Nishida (2003)Brown and Nishida (2003):
Brown, J. W., Nishida, K. 2003. First record of larval endophagy in Euliini (Tortricidae): a new species of Seticosta from Costa Rica. Journal of the Lepidopterists#39; Society. 57: 113-120..

Adults of Seticosta rubicola have been collected in nearly every month in central Costa Rica, suggesting continuous generations throughout the year.

Larvae bore into stems and induce gall formation. Galls are fusiform, approximately 4–6 mm wide, 12–40 mm long, and they are located between nodes on the terminal (young) portions of the stem. One gall contains a single larva. An opening at the base of the gall is often covered in frass and debris; this entrance hole can be detected before the stem begins to swell. Pupation most likely occurs outside of the gall.

Seticosta rubicola feeds on Rubus spp. and is considered a serious pest of blackberry (Rubus spp.) in parts of Costa Rica. Larvae have been intercepted on Rubus spp. arriving at United States ports-of-entry from Guatemala.

Plant Associations

View full screen host table here