Type

Exotic

Taxonomy

Epichoristodes acerbella (Walker) (Tortricidae: Tortricinae: Archipini)

Common names: South African carnation tortrix, carnation worm, pear leafroller

Synonyms: galeata (Epichorista), iocoma (Tortrix), ionephela (Proselena)

Adult Recognition

FWL: 6.5-10.0 mm

Adults are yellow to reddish brown and generally unmarked. Some individuals may have a darker reddish-brown patch on the dorum near the tornustornus:
the junction of the termen and dorsum of the wing
. Males lack a forewing costal foldforewing costal fold:
a flap or fold at the base of the forewing that contains specialized sex scales
.

Male genitalia are characterized by a well-developed, finger-like uncusuncus:
a sclerotized process which is fused to the posterodorsal margin of tergum IX
; a simple transtilla; and broad, membanous valvaevalvae:
plural of "valva"
. Female genitalia are characterized by a long ductus bursaeductus bursae:
a membranous tube connecting the ostium bursae to the corpus bursae
a with a sclerotizedsclerotized:
hardened; usually in reference to larval structures or adult genitalia
portion near the ostiumostium:
see ostium bursae
and a bean-shaped corpus bursaecorpus bursae:
a dilated membranous sac at the anterior end of the bursa copulatrix
with a long, terminally rounded signumsignum:
a sclerotized projection or patch on the interior of the corpus bursae
without an accompanying capitulumcapitulum:
in reference to the female signum; a knoblike projection
. 

Larval Morphology

The following account is summarized from Timm et al. (2008).

Mature larvae are green to yellowish green. The head and prothoracic shieldprothoracic shield:
a sclerotized plate on the dorsal surface of the prothorax
are yellow brown and both may have extensive posteriorposterior:
after, to the rear, toward anal end
shading or mottling. An anal combanal comb:
a toothed structure on the last abdominal segment used to eject frass away from the feeding larva; also termed "anal fork"
is present with 6-9 teeth.

Detailed figures of larval chaetotaxychaetotaxy:
the arrangement of setae (in reference to Lepidoptera larvae), often depicted on a "setal map"
are available in Timm et al. (2008).

Similar Species

Adults may appear similar to other yellow-brown, unmarked archipines such as Clepsis clemensiana and Xenotemna pallorana. The genus Epichoristodes contains 15 described species; E. acerbella is the only species which occurs outside of Africa.

Other carnation/greenhouse pests present in Africa and Europe include Cacoecimorpha proubana. Larvae of C. pronubana have a set of distinctive dark-brown to black markings of the posterolateralposterolateral:
towards the rear and side; posterior and lateral
corners of the prothoracic shieldprothoracic shield:
a sclerotized plate on the dorsal surface of the prothorax
.

Biology

The following account is summarized from Van de Vrie (1991)Van de Vrie (1991):
Van de Vrie, M. 1991. Tortricids in ornamental crops in greenhouses, pp. 515-539. In : van der Geest, L. P. S., Evenhuis, H. H. (eds.), Tortricid pests, their biology, natural enemies and control. Elsevier, Amsterdam, The Netherlands..

In southern Europe, E. acerbella completes four generations per year, with adults present May-September. More generations are possible in a greenhouse environment.

Females lay eggs on leaves in elongate masses of approximately 25 individual eggs. Larvae feed in rolled leaves, in flower buds, and on flower petals. Larvae may also feed on the surface of fruit or tunnel into stems. Pupation occurs in the final larval feeding site.

Larvae of E. acerbella are polyphagous and have been reported feeding on plants in more than a dozen families. This species is recognized as an important pest of carnations and other floricultural crops.

Host plant	Host plant family	Reference(s)
Arctotheca sp.	Asteraceae	Timm et al. 2008Timm et al. 2008: Timm, A. E., Warnich, L., Geertsema, H. 2008. Morphological and molecular identification of economically important Tortricidae (Lepidoptera) on deciduous fruit tree crops in South Africa. African Entomology. 16: 209-219.
Aster sp.	Asteraceae	Taylor 1957Taylor 1957: Taylor, J. S. 1957. Notes on Lepidoptera in the Eastern Cape Province (Part IV). Journal Entomological Society of South Africa. 20: 315-332.
Chrysanthemum sp.	Asteraceae	Tortricid pest book 1991
Erigeron sp.	Asteraceae	Tortricid pest book 1991
Gerbera sp.	Asteraceae	Tortricid pest book 1991
Hypochaeris radicata	Asteraceae	Timm et al. 2008Timm et al. 2008: Timm, A. E., Warnich, L., Geertsema, H. 2008. Morphological and molecular identification of economically important Tortricidae (Lepidoptera) on deciduous fruit tree crops in South Africa. African Entomology. 16: 209-219.
Sonchus sp.	Asteraceae	Tortricid pest book 1991
Raphanus raphanistrum	Brassicaceae	Timm et al. 2008Timm et al. 2008: Timm, A. E., Warnich, L., Geertsema, H. 2008. Morphological and molecular identification of economically important Tortricidae (Lepidoptera) on deciduous fruit tree crops in South Africa. African Entomology. 16: 209-219.
[unspecified]	Caryophyllaceae	Kollner 1976Kollner 1976: Kollner, V. 1976. [Rearing of the South African carnation tortrix Epichoristodes acerbella Walk. (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae)]. Nachrichtenblatt des deutschen Pflanzenschutzdienstes. 28(2): 17-19 [In German].
Dianthus caryophyllus	Caryophyllaceae	Pinhey 1975Pinhey 1975: Pinhey, E. C. G. 1975. Moths of southern Africa: descriptions and colour illustrations of 1183 species. Tafelberg. 273 pp.; Bradley MS 1987Bradley MS 1987: Bradley, J. D. 1987. Card catalogue of identified reared material received by Bradley for identification from about 1955 to 1987; original in BMNH Microlepidoptera Section library.
Dianthus sp.	Caryophyllaceae	Taylor 1957Taylor 1957: Taylor, J. S. 1957. Notes on Lepidoptera in the Eastern Cape Province (Part IV). Journal Entomological Society of South Africa. 20: 315-332.; Gunn 1931Gunn 1931: Gunn, D. 1931. Two destructive insects of carnation plants. Bull. Department Agriculture For. Union of South Africa. 94: 1-9.; Bradley et al. 1973Bradley et al. 1973: Bradley, J. D., Tremewan, W. G., Smith, A. 1973. British Tortricoid Moths, Cochylidae and Tortricidae: Tortricinae. The Ray Society, London. 251 pp.; Emmet 1992Emmet 1992: Emmet, A.M. 1992. Life history and habits of the British Lepidoptera. Pp. 61-300. In : Emmet, A.M., Heath, J. (eds.), The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland, 7. 400 pp., Harley Books, Colchester.; Timm et al. 2008Timm et al. 2008: Timm, A. E., Warnich, L., Geertsema, H. 2008. Morphological and molecular identification of economically important Tortricidae (Lepidoptera) on deciduous fruit tree crops in South Africa. African Entomology. 16: 209-219.
Cucurbita sp.	Cucurbitaceae	Taylor 1957Taylor 1957: Taylor, J. S. 1957. Notes on Lepidoptera in the Eastern Cape Province (Part IV). Journal Entomological Society of South Africa. 20: 315-332.
Medicago sp.	Fabaceae	Tortricid pest book 1991
Ornithogalum thyrsoides	Liliaceae	Bradley et al. 1973Bradley et al. 1973: Bradley, J. D., Tremewan, W. G., Smith, A. 1973. British Tortricoid Moths, Cochylidae and Tortricidae: Tortricinae. The Ray Society, London. 251 pp.
Ornithogalum sp.	Liliaceae	USDA/APHIS interceptionsUSDA/APHIS interceptions: USDA/APHIS interceptions. Based on larvae intercepted by USDA-APHIS personnel at U.S. ports-of-entry and identified by Systematic Entomology Laboratory personnel.
Eucalyptus saligna	Myrtaceae	Bradley MS 1987Bradley MS 1987: Bradley, J. D. 1987. Card catalogue of identified reared material received by Bradley for identification from about 1955 to 1987; original in BMNH Microlepidoptera Section library.; Brown et al. 2011Brown et al. 2011: Brown, J. W., Segura, R., Santiago-Jimenez, Q., Rota, J., Heard, T. A. 2011. Tortricid moths (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) reared from the invasive weed Parkinsonia aculeata (Fabaceae), with comments on their host specificity, biology, and geographic distribution. Journal of Insect Science. 11(7): 1-17.
Pinus patula	Pinaceae	BMNH collectionBMNH collection: BMNH collection. Based on identified reared specimens in the collection of The Natural History Museum, London; identifications by staff of the Lepidoptera Section.
Rumex acetosella	Polygonaceae	Timm et al. 2008Timm et al. 2008: Timm, A. E., Warnich, L., Geertsema, H. 2008. Morphological and molecular identification of economically important Tortricidae (Lepidoptera) on deciduous fruit tree crops in South Africa. African Entomology. 16: 209-219.
Rumex sp.	Polygonaceae	Tortricid pest book 1991
Leucodendron sp.	Proteaceae	Timm et al. 2008Timm et al. 2008: Timm, A. E., Warnich, L., Geertsema, H. 2008. Morphological and molecular identification of economically important Tortricidae (Lepidoptera) on deciduous fruit tree crops in South Africa. African Entomology. 16: 209-219.
Rhamnus sp.	Rhamnaceae	Tort Host plant table (embedded) View full screen host table here Distribution A native of South Africa, E. acerbella is widely distributed in eastern and southern Africa. It was first reported in Europe (Italy) in the late 1960s, and it has been subsequently introduced to the following countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Italy, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, and Spain (Glavendekic 2006Glavendekic 2006: Glavendekic, M. 2006. Epichoristodes acerbella (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae): a new species in the fauna of Serbia. Acta Entomologica Serbica. 11: 77-81.). Photo Credits Figs. 6-7: Biologische Bundesanstalt fur Land-und Forstwirtschaft Archive, Biologische Bundesanstalt fur Land-und Forstwirtschaft, Bugwood.org Male Male Female Male genitalia Female genitalia Larva. © Biologische Bundesanstalt für Land- und Forstwirtschaft , Biologische Bundesanstalt für Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Bugwood.org Resting adult. © Biologische Bundesanstalt für Land- und Forstwirtschaft , Biologische Bundesanstalt für Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Bugwood.org previous next