Archips semiferanus

Type

Native

Taxonomy

Archips semiferanus (Walker) (Tortricidae: Tortricinae: Archipini)

Common names: oak leafroller

Synonyms: flaccidana (Tortrix)

Adult Recognition

FWLFWL:
forewing length; the distance from the base of the forewing to the apex, including fringe
: 8.5-11.5 mm

Forewings are pale golden brown with variable reddish-brown markings. A broad, reddish-brown median fasciafascia:
a dark transverse band on the forewing
is continuous from the costacosta:
the anterior margin of each wing
to the dorum in many individuals. In other individuals the fasciaefascia:
a dark transverse band on the forewing
are a subdued pale golden brown. The hindwings are light brown. Males have a forewing costal foldforewing costal fold:
a flap or fold at the base of the forewing that contains specialized sex scales
. The ventralventral:
lower, to the bottom, on the under side
surface of the female abdomen is covered in dark purplish-gray scales that are used to cover the egg masses.

Male genitalia are characterized by a narrow uncusuncus:
a sclerotized process which is fused to the posterodorsal margin of tergum IX
, broadened apically; absent sociisocii:
a pair of lightly sclerotized setose lobes
; and large, membranous, rounded valvaevalva:
an appendage flanking the intromittent organ that is used to clasp the female during copulation
. Female genitalia are characterized by a long, straigh ductus bursaeductus bursae:
a membranous tube connecting the ostium bursae to the corpus bursae
with a cestumcestum:
a long, bandlike sclerotization of the wall of the ductus bursae
present; and a moderate, daggar-like signumsignum:
a sclerotized projection or patch on the interior of the corpus bursae
present in the corpus bursaecorpus bursae:
a dilated membranous sac at the anterior end of the bursa copulatrix
.

Larval Morphology

The following account is summarized from Chapman & Lienk (1971).

Last instar larvae are 16-26 mm in length with a pale-green abdomen. The head is brown to brownish green and ranges from unmarked to heavily marked with black. The prothoracic shieldprothoracic shield:
a sclerotized plate on the dorsal surface of the prothorax
is pale brownish green and markings range from a pair of spots on the anterolateral corners to more extensive dark patterns. Thoracic legs are pale and unmarked.

Similar Species

Archips semiferanus adults are most similar to those of Archips negundana, although most A. negundana individuals are lighter with white hindwings, and females exhibit differences in the scales on the ventralventral:
lower, to the bottom, on the under side
surface of the abdomen. The two species are similar enough to be confused in the early literature; Freeman (1958)Freeman (1958):
Freeman, T. N. 1958. The Archipinae of North America (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Canadian Entomologist, Supplement 7 (Vol. 90): 1-89. described their differences and separated them by primary host: A. semiferanus on Quercus and A. negundana on Acer.

Biology

The following account is summarized from Chapman & Lienk (1971).

Archips semiferanus completes one generation per year. Adults are present in late June through August. Females lay eggs in masses of 40-50 individual eggs, often in slight depressions on the bark of the host. The egg masses are covered with specialized scales located on the ventralventral:
lower, to the bottom, on the under side
surface of the female abdomen. Eggs overwinter and first instar larvae hatch the following spring. Larvae feed on all types of new growth, including small fruits, and pupation occurs in the final larval feeding site.

The primary host of Archips semiferanus is oak (Quercus spp.), but it has been recorded from plants in several other families. Chapman & Lienk (1971) note that records on apple are always in the vicinity of oak. Records for boxelder and maple likely refer to Archips negundana.

Host plant	Host plant family	Reference(s)
Acer negundo	Aceraceae	LACM IndexLACM Index: LACM Index. Records from the card file at the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, Los Angeles, California; transcribed by Gaeden Robinson (BMNH).
Acer sp.	Aceraceae	Forbes 1923Forbes 1923: Forbes, W. M. T. 1923. The Lepidoptera of New York and neighboring states. Primitive forms, Microlepidoptera, Pyraloids, Bombyces. Cornell Univ. Argic. Exp. Sta., Mem. 68. 729 pp.
Quercus rubra	Fagaceae	Ellenberger & Cameron 1977
Quercus sp.	Fagaceae	LACM IndexLACM Index: LACM Index. Records from the card file at the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, Los Angeles, California; transcribed by Gaeden Robinson (BMNH).; Dyar 1902Dyar 1902: Dyar, H. G. 1902. Descriptions of the larvae of some moths from Colorado. Proceedings of the United States National Museum. 25: 369-412.; Meyrick MS 1938Meyrick MS 1938: Meyrick MS 1938. Unpublished manuscript by E. Meyrick at BMNH, data captured by Gaeden Robinson.; Freeman 1958Freeman 1958: Freeman, T. N. 1958. The Archipinae of North America (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Canadian Entomologist, Supplement 7 (Vol. 90): 1-89.; Schaffner 1959Schaffner 1959: Schaffner, J. V. 1959. Microlepidoptera and their parasites reared from field collections in the northeastern United States. USDA, Misc. Publ. 767. 97 pp.; Mumma & Zettle 1977a, b; Wagner et al. 1995Wagner et al. 1995: Wagner, D. L., Peacock, J. W., Carter, J. L., Talley, S. E. 1995. Spring caterpillar fauna of oak and blueberry in a Virginia deciduous forest. Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 88: 416-426.
Hamamelis sp.	Hamamelidaceae	Freeman 1958Freeman 1958: Freeman, T. N. 1958. The Archipinae of North America (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Canadian Entomologist, Supplement 7 (Vol. 90): 1-89.
Fraxinus pennsylvanica	Oleaceae	USNM collectionUSNM collection: USNM collection. Based on identified reared specimens in the collection of the National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C.
Polygonum sp.	Polygonaceae	LACM IndexLACM Index: LACM Index. Records from the card file at the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, Los Angeles, California; transcribed by Gaeden Robinson (BMNH).
Malus sylvestris	Rosaceae	Freeman 1958Freeman 1958: Freeman, T. N. 1958. The Archipinae of North America (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Canadian Entomologist, Supplement 7 (Vol. 90): 1-89.
Malus sp.	Rosaceae	Chapman & Lienk 1971