Homona Walker (Tortricidae: Tortricinae: Archipini)
Homona is a genus of medium-sized, robust, “broad-shouldered” tortricids with 36 species distributed across the Indomalayan and Australian regions. A few species are described from Africa, but these should likely be placed in different genera.
Species in this genus tend to be polymorphic and highly sexually dimorphic, making identifications difficult. No comprehensive identification tools exist for members of this genus. Most species whose life histories are known are extremely polyphagous and can be pests on many economically important crops, including apple, avocado, citrus, coffee, cotton, eggplant, guava, peanut, pear, soybean, and tea, just to name a few.
Complete life history information is only known for a few species of Homona, but a few generalizations can be made that probably apply to most species in the genus. Larvae are extremely polyphagous and feed by tying leaves together, these nest becoming larger and larger and the larvae mature. Multiple generations occur per year, from at least three in species in Australia, up to five or six in more tropical regions.
Several species complexes exist and identifications in the literature may be unreliable. Thus, we treat the genus on this website on a single page and provide details on some of the most economically damaging species.
Homona coffearia (Nietner)
Common names: tea tortrix, camellia tortrix
Synonyms: euryptera (Homona), fasciculana (Homona), fimbriana (Tortrix), menciana (Pandemis), nubiferana (Godana), picrostacta (Homona), simulana (Godana), socialis (Homona), stenoptera (Homona)
Adult identification
FWL: 8-10 mm (males); 12-13 mm (females)
Head and thorax brown, labial palpilabial palpi:
a pair of sensory appendages that project from the lower part of the head; usually covered in scales and three-segmented
relatively short. Male with FW with ground color light brown; median fasciafascia:
a dark transverse band on the forewing 
brown; black square marking present on costacosta:
the anterior margin of each wing 
; large brown fasciafascia:
a dark transverse band on the forewing present at apexapex:
the point furthest removed from the base or at the end of the costal area 
; costal fold present, large, broad, thickly clothed with dense scales; often held open at rest, giving the moth an unusual profile. Female larger and with much less distinct banding, often only visible as faint reticulationsreticulations:
covered with a network of lines or mesh; in reference to wing pattern, usually thin horizontal lines 
.
Distribution
Records exist from Brunei, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam, but many of these may be misidentifications of similar species.
Biology
Homona coffearia is most well-known as a serious pest of tea (Camellia sinensis). In Sri Lanka, the type locality of this species, several generations can occur per year, with highest levels of damage occurring in the dry season, from December to April. An introduced parasitoid wasp, Macrocentrus homonae Nixon was introduced to Sri Lanka from Java in 1935 and has greatly reduced the frequency and severity of outbreaks of H. coffearia (Gadd 1946Gadd 1946:
Gadd, C. H. 1946. Macrocentrus homonae , a polyembryonic parasite of tea tortrix, Homona coffearia Nietn. Ceylon Journal of Science (B). 23: 67-79.). Homona coffearia is known to feed at least on 57 species of plants in 28 different families.
Homona eductana (Walker)
Synonyms: difficilis (Cacoecia), permutata (Cacoecia)
Adult identification
Homona eductana is a strongly sexually dimorphic species. Males are similar to males of H. coffearia, but have a strong red-purple wash to them, the fasciaefasciae:
plural of "fascia"
are less distinct, and lack a costal fold. Females are larger and more variable than males in FW markings, but usually have a similar red-purple color and a strongly sinuous termentermen:
the outer edge of the forewing 
.
Distribution
Records exist from the Andaman Islands, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand, but many of these require verification. Biology Little is published on the biology of H. eductana beyond its host plants. It is known to feed on 19 species of plants in 14 different families.
Homona magnanima Diakonoff
Common name: Oriental tea tortrix
Adult identification
FWL: 9.5-13 mm (males); 13.5-17 mm (females)
Similar to H. coffearia, but much larger and with a gray tinge to the forewings. Males possess a broad, well-developed costal fold which is thickly clothed with dense scales and often held open while at rest.
Distribution
Records exist for China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam, but some of these records require verification.
Biology
The following account is summarized from Tamaki (1991)Tamaki (1991):
Tamaki, Y. 1991. Tortricids in tea, pp. 541-551. In : van der Geest , L. P. S., Evenhuis, H. H. (eds.), Tortricid Pests: Their Biology, Natural Enemies, and Control. World Crop Pests, Vol. 5. Elsevier, Amsterdam..
In Japan, H. magnanima has four generations per year with a fifth generation sometimes present in southern Japan. The first generation occurs from mid April to mid June, the second from mid June to the end of July, the third from early August to early September, and the fourth from early September to mid November. Population density is generally highest later in the year. Like other species in the genus, larvae feed by tying two leaves together. More mature larvae makes a large nest by tying multiple leaves together. Larvae overwinter as a fourth or fifth instar. Pupation occurs inside their webbed nest. Adult eclose in 7-10 days, depending on temperature. Homona magnanima is known to feed on 42 species of plants in 27 different families.
Homona spargotis Meyrick
Common name: avocado leafroller
Adult identification
Wingspan: 14-19.5 mm (males); 20-28 mm (females)
Externally almost identical to H. coffearia, best distinguished by features of the genitalia and distribution. The position of the large hook on the phallusphallus:
the male intromittent organ (penis); see "aedeagus" 
is diagnostic: sublateral in H. spargotis and dorsaldorsal:
upper, to the top, on the back 
in H. coffearia. Females can be separated by the much wider cestumcestum:
a long, bandlike sclerotization of the wall of the ductus bursae
in H. spargotis compared to H. coffearia (Whittle et al. 1987Whittle et al. 1987:
Whittle, C. P., Bellas, T. E., Horak, M., Pinese, B. 1987. The sex pheromone and taxonomic status of Homona spargotis Meyrick sp. rev., an Australian pest species of the coffearia group (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Tortricinae). Journal of the Australian Entomological Society. 26. 169-179.).
Distribution
Records exist for northern Queensland only. Possible addition records come from New Guinea, Sulawesi, and Java, but these require verification.
Biology
The following account is summarized from Whittle et al. (1987).
At least three generation occur per year in Australia from August to June. Flattened eggs are laid in overlapping fashion in clusters on the upper surface of leaves with each mass containing up to 400 eggs. Like with other species of Homona, larval development and pupation occur within rolled and webbed leaves. Terminal leaves are the preferred feeding sites. If high populations exhaust the supply of terminal shoots, larvae may web leaves to fruits or become established between touching fruits and serious scarring of the fruit may result. In the lab complete larval development takes between 19-26 days for males and 21-29 days for females. Homona spargotis is most well-known for being a major pest of avocado in Australia, but has been sporadically reported from other crops. It is known to feed on at least 7 species of plants in 7 different families.
Homona tabescens (Meyrick)
Adult identification
Wingspan: 20-21 mm (males); 25-26 mm (females)
Homona tabescens is virtually identical to H. eductana. Males lack a costal fold. Examination of the genitalia may be required to separate them, if they are indeed distinct species.
Distribution
Records exist for China, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Guinea, Thailand, and Vietnam, although some of these require verification.
Biology
Little is published on the biology of H. tabescens beyond its host plants. It is known to feed on 23 species of plants in 19 different families.
Homona trachyptera Diakonoff
Adult identification
Wingspan: 21-23 mm (males); 28-32 mm (females)
Homona trachyptera is very similar to H. coffearia, but larger and with narrower forewings. The male genitalia of H. trachyptera apparently lacks the two short apical hooks on the sacculussacculus:
the ventral margin of the male valva 
, which H. coffearia has.
Distribution
Homona trachyptera is known from Papua New Guinea and northern Queensland, Australia.
Biology
Little is published on the biology of H. tabescens beyond its host plants. It is known to feed on 12 species of plants in 10 different families.
