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CAPS Non-target - Adult
Port Interception Target - Larva

Cnephasia longana (Haworth) (Tortricidae: Tortricinae: Cnephasiini)

Common names: omnivorous leaf-tier, strawberry fruitworm

Synonyms: cadizensis (form), capillana (Sphaleroptera), egenana (Tortrix), expallidana (Tortrix), gratana (Sciaphila), ictericana (Tortrix), insolatana (Tortrix), loeviana (Sciaphila), luridalbana (Tortrix), lutosana (Tortrix), minor (form), ongana (Cnephasia), stratana (Sciaphila)

Fig. 1: Male

Fig. 1: Male

Fig. 2: Male

Fig. 2: Male

Fig. 3: Female

Fig. 3: Female

Fig. 4: Female

Fig. 4: Female

Fig. 5: Male genitalia

Fig. 5: Male genitalia

Fig. 6: Female genitalia

Fig. 6: Female genitalia

Adult Recognition

FWL: 7.5-10.8 mm

Cnephasia longana is sexually dimorphic: males are a uniform white to yellowish brown while females are variably marked with light to dark brown. Some females have a strong fasciate pattern. Males lack a forewing costal fold.

The yellowish, narrow, elongate forewings separate this species from most of the other Tortricidae covered here. Other Palearctic Cnephasia, such as C. gueneeana, are similar, and a genitalic dissection can be used to confirm identity.

Larval Morphology

Late instar larvae are greenish brown or yellowish green with pale lateral lines and are approximately 14-18 mm in length. The head is pale brown with dark brown margins and the prothoracic shield is concolorous with the rest of the body.

Biology

Adults are present from late March to early July in North America.

Females lay eggs singly or in small batches in depressions or cracks in the bark of trees and cover them with bits of debris. After hatching, first instar larvae search out suitable cracks or crevices in bark, construct a silk hibernaculum, and hibernate for the remainder of the summer and following winter. Larvae leave the hibernaculum in the spring and disperse to nearby herbaceous plants by ballooning with the aid of silk threads. After encountering a suitable host, larvae mine within leaves close to the ground. Later instars web terminal parts of the plant, including the shoots, buds, and/or flowers. In some instances larvae may bore into fruit (such as strawberries) causing economic damage.

Host plants

Cnephasia longana larvae have been recorded feeding on a large number of herbaceous plants. In Europe, the larvae can be a pest of cereal crops. In Oregon and Washington, C. longana larvae have been reported as a pest of strawberries. The following host list contains plants in more than 20 families.

Family Genus/species Common name
Apiaceae Selinum carvifolium Crantz
Asteraceae Achillea L. yarrow
Asteraceae Achillea millefolium L. common yarrow
Asteraceae Agoseris heterophylla (Nutt.) Greene annual agoseris
Asteraceae Anthemis cotula L. stinking chamomile
Asteraceae Anthemis L. chamomile
Asteraceae Aster L. aster
Asteraceae Centaurea L. knapweed
Asteraceae Chrysanthemum L. daisy
Asteraceae Cirsium Mill. thistle
Asteraceae Erigeron glaucus Ker Gawl. seaside fleabane
Asteraceae Hypochaeris L. cat's ear
Asteraceae Leucanthemum vulgare Lam. oxeye daisy
Asteraceae Ligularia Cass. summer ragwort
Asteraceae Senecio jacobaea L. stinking willie
Asteraceae Sonchus arvensis L. field sowthistle
Asteraceae Tripolium pannonicum (Jacq.) Dobrocz. sea aster
Asteraceae Wyethia angustifolia (DC.) Nutt. California compassplant
Berberidaceae Mahonia pinnata (Lag.) Fedde wavyleaf barberry
Boraginaceae Amsinckia Lehm. fiddleneck
Boraginaceae Amsinckia menziesii (Lehm.) A. Nelson & J.F. Macbr. var. intermedia (Fisch. & C.A. Mey.) Ganders common fiddleneck
Caryophyllaceae Lychnis L. campion
Convolvulaceae Convolvulus L. bindweed
Crassulaceae Sempervivum tectorum L. common houseleek
Fabaceae Lupinus albifrons Benth. silver lupine
Fabaceae Lupinus L. lupine
Fabaceae Psoralea L.
Fabaceae Vicia americana Muhl. ex Willd. American vetch
Fabaceae Vicia L. vetch
Geraniaceae Erodium cicutarium (L.) L'Her. ex Aiton redstem stork's bill
Geraniaceae Geranium L. geranium
Hydrophyllaceae Phacelia distans Benth. distant phacelia
Lamiaceae Stachys L. hedgenettle
Linaceae Linum L. flax
Onagraceae Camissonia Link suncup
Papaveraceae Eschscholzia californica Cham. California poppy
Plantaginaceae Plantago lanceolata L. narrowleaf plantain
Plumbaginaceae Armeria maritima (Mill.) Willd. thrift seapink
Polygonaceae Eriogonum latifolium Sm. seaside buckwheat
Polygonaceae Eriogonum Michx. buckwheat
Polygonaceae Rumex acetosella L. common sheep sorrel
Polygonaceae Rumex L. dock
Ranunculaceae Ranunculus L. buttercup
Rosaceae Fragaria L. strawberry
Rosaceae Prunus armeniaca L. apricot
Scrophulariaceae Castilleja Mutis ex L. f. Indian paintbrush
Scrophulariaceae Collinsia multicolor Lindl. & Paxton San Francisco blue eyed Mary
Scrophulariaceae Scrophularia californica Cham. & Schltdl. California figwort
Violaceae Viola L. violet
Zygophyllaceae Fagonia L. fagonbush

Distribution

Cnephasia longana is native to the Palearctic where it is widely distributed across Europe, northwestern Africa, and Asia. It was introduced into western North America in the late 1920's, where it is currently present in southern British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California.

References

Bradley, J. D., W. G. Tremewan and A. Smith. 1973. British tortricoid moths, Cochylidae and Tortricidae: Tortricinae. The Ray Society, London. 259 pp.

Crop Protection Compendium. 2007 Edition. CAB International, Wallingford, UK, 2007.

Glas, M. 1991. Tortricids in cereals, pp. 553-661. In: L. P. S. van der Geest, H. H. Evenhuis (eds.), Tortricid pests, their biology, natural enemies and control. Elsevier, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

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.

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