Type

Native

Exotic

Taxonomy

Paralobesia Obraztsov (Tortricidae: Olethreutinae: Olethreutini)

Overview

The genus Paralobesia was recently revised by Royals et al. (2019) to include 45 species, 42 of which occur in North America. The remaining three species, including the type species, occur in Europe and Asia Minor. In North America, the vast majority of species occur in the east.

Eggs are often laid in developing flower buds of the host plant in which young larvae feed before moving on to feeding in fruits or rolling leaves. Most species pupate in rolled leaves or in leaf litter. Overwintering most commonly occurs in the pupal stage with adults eclosing in the spring. Most species are multivoltine, with up to four generations per year in some species in the south. Levels of host specialization appears to be somewhat variable in Paralobesia, with some species apparently monophagous while others oligophagous or polyphagous.

With the exception of Paralobesia viteana, the grape berry moth, species of Paralobesia are not considered significant pests. Lobesia botrana, the European grape vine moth, is a superficially similar and closely related species that is also a serious pest of grape.

Wing pattern among species of Paralobesia is remarkably similar, typically consisting of a pale orange-brown or dark brown ground color overlaid with a intricate and complex network of pale yellow or orange fasciaefasciae:
plural of "fascia"
, which are often heavily suffused with chalky blue-gray scaling. Males lack a forewing costal foldforewing costal fold:
a flap or fold at the base of the forewing that contains specialized sex scales
. The hindwing color varies from white to dark brown. Forewing length ranges from 4.0-8.0 mm.

Male genitalia are characterized by a poorly-developed uncusuncus:
a sclerotized process which is fused to the posterodorsal margin of tergum IX
and three discrete clusters of spines on the sacculussacculus:
the ventral margin of the male valva
: the first two at the distaldistal:
farthest from body, distant from point of attachment
end of the sacculussacculus:
the ventral margin of the male valva
separated by a deep excavation and the third at the base of the sacculussacculus:
the ventral margin of the male valva
. Female genitalia are characterized by sterigmasterigma:
the sclerotized region surrounding the female ostium bursae
positioned in a membranous pocket behind sternum VII and ductus bursaeductus bursae:
a membranous tube connecting the ostium bursae to the corpus bursae
typically with two accessory sacs at the distaldistal:
farthest from body, distant from point of attachment
end.

Host plant table (embedded)

View full screen host table here

Links

Additional photos and distribution maps for species in the United States and Canada are available at Moth Photographers Group.