Syndemis afflictana

Status

NATIVE

DOMESTIC SURVEY

Taxonomy

Syndemis afflictana (Walker) (Tortricidae: Tortricinae: Archipini)

Common name: gray leafroller moth

Synonyms: fuscolineana (Lozotaenia)

Note: Specimens resembling S. afflictana from California are likely one of five undescribed species proposed to exist by Rubinoff et al. (2017)Rubinoff et al. (2017):
Rubinoff, D., San Jose, M., Powell, J. A. 2017. Sex-biased secondary contact obscures ancient speciation onto relictual host trees in central California moths ( Syndemis : Tortricidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 109: 388-403.. For the purposes of this site, we treat all six species (true S. afflictana plus the five undescribed species) as a single entity.

Adult Recognition

FWL: 8.5–10.5 mm

Head whitish gray; thorax mousy gray; ground color of forewing pale gray with dark gray basal and median fasciae; distal margin of basal fascia bent at nearly 90º angle, conspicuously outlined in black; median fascia nearly straight, proximal margin with similar black outline; male forewing with small costal fold; hindwing gray with faint strigulae.

Male genitalia are characterized by a short uncus; socii obsolete; valvae trapezoidal. Female genitalia are characterized by a bowl-shaped sterigma with dorsomedial process; base of ductus bursae sclerotized; corpus bursae with long, thorn-like signum. 

Larval Morphology

Mature larva up to 20 mm in length; head green; body yellowish green with yellow and cream longitudinal stripes. A detailed description of larval chaetotaxy has not been published. 

Similar Species

Syndemis afflictana could be confused with other gray tortricids, such as some species of Acleris, Cnephasia, or Decodes, but Syndemis is the only one of these to have a forewing costal fold in the male. The European Syndemis musculana is very similar, but typically has a brownish wash to its forewing along with subtle differences in the genitalia.

Distribution

True Sydemis afflictana is broadly distributed in the northern United States and southern Canada, as far south as the Appalachian Mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina in the east and as far south as Washington in the west. Five undescribed species closely related to S. afflictana occur in California (Rubinoff et al. 2017Rubinoff et al. 2017:
Rubinoff, D., San Jose, M., Powell, J. A. 2017. Sex-biased secondary contact obscures ancient speciation onto relictual host trees in central California moths ( Syndemis : Tortricidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 109: 388-403.).

Biology

The following account is summarized from Duncan (2006)Duncan (2006):
Duncan, R. W. 2006. Conifer defoliators of British Columbia. Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Pacific Forestry Centre, Victoria, British Columbia. 359 pp..

In British Columbia, Syndemis afflictana overwinters as a penultimate-instar or mature larva. Larvae feed from May to early June, pupation occurs in early June, and adults fly in mid- to late June. Larvae emerge soon after and feed until the onset of cold weather. Further east, adults can by found as early as April, continuing through the end of June.

Syndemis afflictana is highly polyphagous species, having been recorded from a large variety of plants, including fir (Abies spp.), willow (Salix spp.), birch (Betula spp.), and apple (Malus spp.). In contrast, populations in California appear to be monophagous on certain conifers, with a single undescribed species feeding each on fir (Abies spp.), Monterey pine (Pinus radiata), coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), and two undescribed species whose hosts are unknown (Rubinoff et al. 2017Rubinoff et al. 2017:
Rubinoff, D., San Jose, M., Powell, J. A. 2017. Sex-biased secondary contact obscures ancient speciation onto relictual host trees in central California moths ( Syndemis : Tortricidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 109: 388-403.).

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.