KEYS    About TortAI    Fact Sheets    Glossary    ID Thumbnails    DNA Search    Dissection Guides

CAPS Non-target - Adult

Clepsis fucana (Walsingham) (Tortricidae: Tortricinae: Archipini)

Synonyms: busckana (Clepsis), victoriana (Cacoecia)

Fig. 1: Male

Fig. 1: Male

Fig. 2: Male

Fig. 2: Male

Fig. 3: Female

Fig. 3: Female

Fig. 4: Male genitalia

Fig. 4: Male genitalia

Fig. 5: Female genitalia

Fig. 5: Female genitalia

Adult Recognition

FWL: 6.0-10.5 mm

Forewing color varies from dark brown to white. Most individuals have a well-defined median fascia and costal spot, although some may be nearly unmarked. Hindwing color is primarily white. Males lack a forewing costal foldMales have a small membranous lobe on the apex of the valva. Females lack a signum in the corpus bursae.

Clepsis fucana, C. penetralis, C. peritana, and C. virescana are all similar in appearance. Clepsis fucana is generally larger than the other three species and is found only on the West Coast. Clepsis penetralis has only been recorded from Colorado, Utah, and Vermont, although it may be misidentified in collections making its true distribution unknown. Clepsis peritana is the most commonly collected Clepsis, and it can be found throughout the United States and southern Canada. Clepsis virescana is larger and more boreal than C. peritana and it is not present in the Southeast. The following table lists diagnostic features that can be used to separate these four Clepsis species:

Clepsis species FWL Male forewing costal fold Male valva membranous lobe Female ductus bursae Female signum Distribution
fucana 6.5-10.5 mm absent present as small lobe straight absent West Coast
penetralis 6.0-7.5 mm absent present as moderate lobe weakly twisted absent Unknown; recorded from Colorado, Utah, and Vermont
peritana 4.5-7.5 mm absent absent; entire apex is membranous tightly coiled absent United States and southern Canada
virescana 6.0-9.0 mm present present as small lobe straight present United States and southern Canada; not present in the Southeast

Larval Morphology

According to MacKay (1962; as C. busckana), late instar larvae are approximately 13 mm long and are pale with large pinacula and long setae. The head is yellow. An anal comb is present.

Biology

This species completes two generations per year. Adults are most common in April to June and again in September and October.

Larvae hollow out terminals of the host and feed on leaves that are webbed to the larval shelter.

Host plants

Larvae of Clepsis fucana have been recorded feeding on plants in a variety of families.

Family Genus/species Common name
Asteraceae Anaphalis margaritacea (L.) Benth. western pearly everlasting
Asteraceae Anaphalis DC. pearly everlasting
Asteraceae Gnaphalium L. cudweed
Asteraceae Senecio jacobaea L. stinking willie
Boraginaceae [unspecified]
Cucurbitaceae Marah oreganus (Torr. ex S. Watson) Howell coastal manroot
Fagaceae Quercus agrifolia Nee California live oak
Hydrophyllaceae Phacelia californica Cham. California phacelia
Lamiaceae Stachys bullata Benth. California hedgenettle
Lamiaceae Stachys L. hedgenettle
Primulaceae Cyclamen L. cyclamen
Rhamnaceae Frangula californica (Eschsch.) A. Gray California buckthorn
Rosaceae Fragaria chiloensis (L.) Mill. beach strawberry
Rosaceae Horkelia californica Cham. & Schltdl. California horkelia
Rosaceae Rubus parviflorus Nutt. thimbleberry
Rosaceae Rubus L. blackberry
Scrophulariaceae Scrophularia californica Cham. & Schltdl. California figwort
Scrophulariaceae Scrophularia L. figwort
Urticaceae Urtica dioica L. ssp. holosericea (Nutt.) Thorne stinging nettle

Distribution

Clepsis fucana occurs along the west coast of North America from British Columbia south to Monterey County, California

References

Freeman, T. N. 1958. The Archipinae of North America (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). The Canadian Entomologist Supplement 7 (Vol. 90): 1-89.

MacKay, M. R. 1962. Larvae of the North American Tortricinae (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). The Canadian Entomologist Supplement 28: 1-182.

Powell, J. A. 1964. Biological and taxonomic studies on tortricine moths, with reference to the species in California. University of California Publications in Entomology. Vol. 32. 317 pp.

Powell, J. A. and P. A. Opler. 2009. Moths of western North America. University of California Press, Berkeley. 369 pp.

Razwoski, J. 1979. Revision of the genus Clepsis Guenee (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae). Part I. Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia. 23: 101-198.

Tortricids of Agricultural Importance by Todd M. Gilligan and Marc E. Epstein
Interactive Keys developed in Lucid 3.5. Last updated August 2014.