TORTRICIDAE  -  Thaumatotibia leucotreta (Meyrick)

Larval diagnosis (Detailed)

Brown (2011) divided intercepted tortricid larvae into four "types." Larvae of T. leucotreta are grouped under the "Cryptophlebia type" with D1 and SD1 on the same pinaculum on A9, the L pinaculum on T1 enlarged and extending beneath and beyond (posterad of) the spiracle, and an anal comb present or absent. He used the following characters to identify T. leucotreta: L group on A9 usually trisetose (all setae usually on same pinaulum); pinacula moderate in size; Vs on A9 slightly further apart than those on A8; anal comb present with 2-10 teeth. Other larval characters include: SD2 on A1-8 highly reduced or appearing absent; SV counts 3:3:2:2:1; spiracle on A8 displaced posterad of SD pinaculum; D2 setae on A9 on shared saddle pinaculum. Note that the anal comb may be greatly reduced in some individuals.

Timm et al. (2007) provided a complete detailed description of the larva of T. leucotreta. They placed emphasis on the crochets and structure of the anal comb to separate T. leucotreta from T. batrachopa. In T. leucotreta, the crochets are unevenly triordinal, reduced in the medial half of the anal prolegs, with 36-42 on the abdominal prolegs and 24-32 on the anal prolegs. Crochets in T. batrachopa are unevenly biordinal. The medial prongs of the anal comb are of even length in T. leucotreta versus the prongs "merging into distinct medial structure" in T. batrachopa. Timm et al. (2008) used the same characters to separate T. leucotreta from C. pomonella, G. molesta, and E. acerbella.

Other intercepted tortricid species with D1 and SD1 on the same pinaculum on A9 and the L pinaculum on T1 enlarged and extending beneath and beyond (posterad of) the spiracle include (from Brown 2011): Cryptophlebia, many Cochylini, Lorita scarificata, Gymnandrosoma aurantianum, and Ecdytolopha fabivora (previously Cydia fabivora). The last three species occur in Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean, and are thus unlikely to be confused with false codling moth based on origin. Cochylini are found worldwide, although most are intercepted on Opuntia, Pithecellobium, or Asteraceae from the New World. Two possible distinguishing features for Cochylini larvae are SV counts of 3:3:2:2:2(1) and a bisetose L group on A9 in many species.

Three species of Cryptophlebia are considered serious pests of macadamia, litchi, mango, and other crops. Their larvae are similar to those of T. leucotreta, and larvae of the two genera are usually separated by the anal comb, which is present in T. leucotreta and absent in most Cryptophlebia. This may cause confusion in some instances, because some individuals of Cryptophlebia, especially C. ombrodelta, have a rudimentary anal comb with 4-6 small teeth. Luckily, C. ombrodelta is not found in Africa; however, it is not known if other species of Cryptophlebia, such as C. peltastica, also possess an anal comb in some individuals.

Cryptophlebia ombrodelta is recorded from Australia, Guam, India, Japan, Java, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, and Thailand, and has been introduced into Hawaii. Cryptophlebia illepida has only been recorded only from Hawaii. Diagnostic characters for C. ombrodelta include: SV counts usually 3:3:3:2:2; L group on A9 trisetose, all setae usually on same pinaculum; abdominal prolegs with 45-48 crochets; and anal comb absent (usually). Diagnostic characters for C. illepida include: SV group usually 3:3:3:1:1; L group on A9 usually bisetose; and anal comb absent. Origin should be sufficient to separate larvae of these two species from T. leucotreta.

Cryptophlebia peltastica is the primary pest of litchi in South Africa and Mauritius, and it is also a serious pest of macadamia in South Africa. It is broadly distributed on the African continent and has also been recorded from Seychelles, Madagascar, Mauritius, and Guam. It has only been reported as being intercepted at a U.S. port on one occasion; however, we suspect that any interceptions of C. peltastica would be confused with T. leucotreta or only identified to genus. An anal comb should be absent in C. peltastica, although it is not known if some individuals have a small comb similar to what it found in C. ombrodelta.

Identification authority (Detailed)

Positive identifications of T. leucotreta should be restricted to larvae intercepted from Africa (or Europe, and especially the Netherlands, if transshipment is suspected) with the L pinaculum on T1 enlarged and extending beneath and beyond (posterad of) the spiracle and an anal comb present. Typical hosts are Capsicum annuum, Solanum melongena, or Citrus.

Because some Cryptophlebia larvae have a small anal comb, a combination of other characters should be confirmed for T. leucotreta suspects found on macadamia or litchi: spiracle on A8 displaced posterad of SD pinaculum; L group on A9 usually trisetose (all setae usually on same pinaulum); crochets unevenly triordinal, 36-42.

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

TORTRICIDAE  -  Thaumatotibia leucotreta (Meyrick)

Origin records

Thaumatotibia leucotreta has been intercepted from the following locations:

Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cote D'Ivoire, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Namibia, Netherlands, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Togo, Uganda, United Kingdom of Great Britain and N. Ireland, Zimbabwe

Interceptions from the Netherlands and United Kingdom likely represent transshipments from Africa.

Host records

Thaumatotibia leucotreta has been intercepted on the following hosts:

Abelmoschus esculentus, Allium sp., Annona muricata, Annona sp., Annonaceae, Artocarpus heterophyllus, Brassica sp., Cajanus cajan, Capsicum annuum, Capsicum chinense, Capsicum frutescens, Capsicum sinense, Capsicum sp., Citrus reticulata, Citrus sinensis, Citrus sp., Cola acuminata, Cola nitida, Cola sp., Englerophytum megalismontanum, Fabaceae, Gnetum africanum, Lablab purpureus, Persea americana, Phaseolus lunatus, Phaseolus sp., Phaseolus vulgaris, Phoenix sp., Phyllanthus emblica, Piper sp., Pithecellobium dulce, Psidium guajava, Psidium sp., Rosaceae, Solanaceae, Solanum melongena, Solanum sp., Telfairia occidentalis, Theobroma cacao, Uvaria sp., Vicia faba, Vitis sp., Zea mays, Zea sp., Ziziphus jujuba, Ziziphus sp.

TORTRICIDAE  -  Thaumatotibia leucotreta (Meyrick)

Setal map

Thaumatotibia leucotreta setal map

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