TORTRICIDAE  -  Crocidosema aporema (Walsingham)

Larval diagnosis (Detailed)

Brown (2011) divided intercepted tortricid larvae into four "types." Larvae of C. aporema are grouped under the "Olethreutinae type" with D1 and SD1 on the same pinaculum on A9, the L group on T1 not extending beneath the spiracle, and an anal comb present. He used the following characters to identify larvae of C. aporema: head with black band extending from postgenal suture to seta S2 (= O2); SV group counts 3:3:2:2:2(1); abdominal crochets biordinal, 31-36; whitish with moderately small, pale tan pinacula; integument with conspicuous short spines; primarily on Fabaceae (from Central and South America, Caribbean). Other characters from Brown (2011) include: pinacula small or moderate, pale or tan; prothoracic and anal shields with or without distinct pattern; L group trisetose on A9; SV counts on A1,2,7,8,9 usually less than 3:3:3:2:2.

MacKay (1959) treated C. aporema in her "Epinotia, Group 5" (as Epinotia opposita). Her diagnostic characters included: head with blackish ocellar area and lateral bar on cheek; spinulation of integument darker than body color; anal fork moderately developed; SV group counts 3:3:2:2:2; D1s on the anal shield almost as long as D2s; abdominal crochets uniordinal, partially biordinal, or biordinal, 30-40 (MacKay 1959, Fig. 90). Morey (1972) described and illustrated the life stages of C. aporema (as E. aporema) in detail and noted 32 crochets on the abdominal prolegs. We have examined individuals in which the abdominal crochets are partially triordinal.

There seems to be some confusion as to the identity of Crocidosema larvae intercepted at U.S. ports of entry. The PestID database contains only records of C. aporema along with a few records of "Crocidosema sp." We have examined several of the larvae listed in the database as C. aporema and determined them to be C. plebejana. Crocidosema plebejana is a common cosmopolitan species that feeds primarily on Malvaceae, but it is likely found on plants in other families given its wide distribution. Larvae of the two species are morphologically similar, with one distinct difference: the number of crochets is 13-20 in C. plebejana (Gilligan and Epstein 2012, MacKay 1959) versus 30-40 in C. aporema (Brown 2011, Gilligan and Epstein 2012, MacKay 1959, Morey 1972).

Larval damage caused by C. aporema on beans is similar to that caused by Ecdytolopha fabivora (formally Cydia fabivora); however, larvae of C. aporema feed primarily on young leaflets while those of E. fabivora feed in the stems and pods. An anal comb is present in C. aporema but is absent in E. fabivora (Gilligan and Epstein 2012).

Other bean-feeding tortricids in South and Central America include Amorbia, Cydia torostoma, Lusterala phaseolana, and Platynota (Gilligan and Epstein 2012). Amorbia and Platynota can be separated from C. aporema by the D1 and SD1 setae on A9, which are located on separate pinacula in these other genera and on the same pinaculum in C. aporema. Cydia larvae can be separated from C. aporema by the lack of an anal comb. Lusterala phaseolana has a very unusual larva and is one of only a few species of Tortricidae where the L group on the prothorax is bisetose (Brown and Nishida 2007).

Identification authority (Detailed)

Origin and host can be important clues for the identification of C. aporema. Larvae of C. aporema should originate from the New World, feed on Fabaceae (usually beans), and have the combination of morphological characters listed above, including 30-40 crochets on the abdominal prolegs. Larvae from outside of the New World or those on hosts outside of Fabaceae (or host unknown) should be identified only to genus. Larvae from Malvaceae that match the above morphological description with only 13-20 crochets on the abdominal prolegs should be identified as C. plebejana.

Key to larval Tortricidae intercepted, or potentially encountered, at U.S. ports of entry

TORTRICIDAE  -  Crocidosema aporema (Walsingham)

Origin records

Crocidosema aporema has been intercepted from the following locations:

Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela

Origins outside of Central or South America, southern Mexico, or the Caribbean likely represent interceptions of C. plebejana and are not listed here.

Host records

Crocidosema aporema has been intercepted on the following hosts:

Annona sp., Araucaria angustifolia, Aster sp., Cajanus cajan, Chenopodium sp., Crocosmia sp., Cucurbita sp., Curcubita sp., Dianthus sp., Eucalyptus sp., Fabaceae, Hypericum sp., Lablab purpureus, Lecythis sp., Limonium sp., Lysimachia sp., Mentha sp., Momordica sp., Ornithogalum sp., Phaseolus coccineus, Phaseolus lunatus, Phaseolus sp., Phaseolus vulgaris, Physalis sp., Pisum sativum, Pisum sp., Rubus fruticosus, Rubus sp., Sorghum bicolor, Thymus vulgaris, Vicia faba, Vigna sp., Vigna unguiculata, Zea mays

Host records on plants outside of the Fabaceae need confirmation; those on Malvaceae likely represent interceptions of C. plebejana.

TORTRICIDAE  -  Crocidosema aporema (Walsingham)

Setal map

Crocidosema aporema setal map

Click here to download a full-size printable PDF of this larval setal map