Native
Lorita scarificata (Meyrick) (Tortricidae: Tortricinae: Cochylini)
Common names: chrysanthemum flower borer moth
Synonyms: abornana (Lorita), chatka (Lorita abornana ssp.)
FWL: 3.5-4.5 mm (males); 3.9-5.2 mm (females)
Forewing with ground color pale yellow to cream, fasciaefasciae:
plural of "fascia"
irregular, indistinct, often with warm brown scales in patches; dark brown to black scales scattered across forewing. Hindwing pale brown.
Male genitalia are characterized by a thin uncusuncus:
a sclerotized process which is fused to the posterodorsal margin of tergum IX
; socii present as thumb-like lobes; valvae forming a right angle at base of dorsumdorsum:
the lower (usually posterior) or inner margin 
; phallusphallus:
the male intromittent organ (penis); see "aedeagus" 
large, with ventrally-produced spine and numerous minute cornuticornuti:
spines used to anchor the male vesica in the female bursa during copulation 
scattered across vesica. Female genitalia are characterized by the basal two-thirds of ductus bursaeductus bursae:
a membranous tube connecting the ostium bursae to the corpus bursae
well-sclerotized, corpus bursaecorpus bursae:
a dilated membranous sac at the anterior end of the bursa copulatrix
without signumsignum:
a sclerotized projection or patch on the interior of the corpus bursae
(Pogue 1988Pogue 1988:
Pogue, M. G. 1988. Revision of the genus Lorita Busck (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Cochylini), with a description of a new species. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 90. 440-457.).
The following account is summarized from Pogue (1988)Pogue (1988):
Pogue, M. G. 1988. Revision of the genus Lorita Busck (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Cochylini), with a description of a new species. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 90. 440-457..
Mature larva 4.8-6.4 mm. Head brown, prothoracic shieldprothoracic shield:
a sclerotized plate on the dorsal surface of the prothorax 
concolorous. SD2 minute, only present on segment 8; ninth segment with D1 and SD1 on same pinaculumpinaculum:
singular of "pinacula"
; L group consisting of 2 setae, L1 and L2; SV3 only present on segment 6; SV1 and SV3 absent on segment 9.
A complete morphological description of the larva and pupa is provided in Pogue (1988)Pogue (1988):
Pogue, M. G. 1988. Revision of the genus Lorita Busck (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Cochylini), with a description of a new species. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 90. 440-457..
Length of pupa 5.6-5.7 mm
Lorita scarificata could be confused with several other species of Cochylini, but genitalia should serve to separate Lorita from other genera. Lorita baccharivora is similar, but males of that species possess a hindwing costal fold, which L. scarificata lacks.
Lorita scarificata has been reported from several plants, but is most noteworthy for its use of peppers (Capsicum spp.), which it damages by boring into the stalks and capsules. Despite its common name, only one report exists for it using Chrysanthemum (in Hawaii; Pogue 1988Pogue 1988:
Pogue, M. G. 1988. Revision of the genus Lorita Busck (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Cochylini), with a description of a new species. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 90. 440-457.).
| Host plant | Host plant family | Reference(s) |
| Chrysanthemum sp. | Asteraceae | Pogue 1988Pogue 1988: Pogue, M. G. 1988. Revision of the genus Lorita Busck (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Cochylini), with a description of a new species. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 90. 440-457. |
| Tagetes sp. | Asteraceae | APHIS interception (barcode) |
| Verbesina virginica | Asteraceae | USNM collectionUSNM collection: USNM collection. Based on identified reared specimens in the collection of the National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C. |
| Cuscuta californica | Convolvulaceae | Busck 1939Busck 1939: Busck, A. 1939. A generic review of the family Phaloniidae with descriptions of two new genera and one new species. Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Sciences. 38: 98-111. |
| Clausena lansium | Rutaeae | USNM collectionUSNM collection: USNM collection. Based on identified reared specimens in the collection of the National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C. |
| Capsicum frutescens | Solanaceae | Busck 1939Busck 1939: Busck, A. 1939. A generic review of the family Phaloniidae with descriptions of two new genera and one new species. Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Sciences. 38: 98-111. |
| Capsicum sp. | Solanaceae | Pogue 1988Pogue 1988: Pogue, M. G. 1988. Revision of the genus Lorita Busck (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Cochylini), with a description of a new species. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 90. 440-457. |
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Lorita scarificata is broadly distributed in the Neotropics, with records from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Antigua, Venezuela, Guyana, and Brazil. It has been reported from the United States from Florida, Texas, and California and has been introduced into Hawaii (Pogue 1988Pogue 1988:
Pogue, M. G. 1988. Revision of the genus Lorita Busck (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Cochylini), with a description of a new species. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 90. 440-457.).
