Type

Native

Exotic

Taxonomy

Phtheochroa Stephens (Tortricidae: Tortricinae: Cochylini)

Overview

Phtheochroa is a large genus comprising approximately 110 species distributed primarily in the Holarctic region, although about 40 species are known from Central America and three are described from sub-Saharan Africa (Gilligan et al. 2018Gilligan et al. 2018:
Gilligan, T. M., Baixeras, J., Brown, J. W. 2018. T@RTS: Online World Catalogue of the Tortricidae (Ver. 4.0). http://www.tortricid.net/catalogue.asp [accessed 8 October 2020].).

Like with some other genera of Cochylini, there tends to be a general trend of gravitation towards members of Asteraceae as the primary host plant for many species of Phtheochroa. However, there are many exceptions, including some quite drastic ones, including Liliaceae and Poaceae. No species are known to be significant economic pests. Phtheochroa cranaodes is a major pest of apple, pear, plum, and grapes in South America, but it is now considered a junior synonym of Bonagota salubricola, despite most existing literature using its original combination.

Species identification, even for species originating in the United States, is often difficult. Identification of Phtheochroa larvae or adults intercepted at U.S. ports would almost definitely require molecular diagnostics. Many, but not all males of Phtheochroa have a forewing costal foldforewing costal fold:
a flap or fold at the base of the forewing that contains specialized sex scales
and possess an uncusuncus:
a sclerotized process which is fused to the posterodorsal margin of tergum IX
in the genitalia. Additionally, males have distally united or fused arms of the vinculumvinculum:
ventral section of the transverse ring in male genitalia
(a character shared with Hysterophora, which may prove to be synonymous with Phtheochroa) and rigid, erect sociisocii:
a pair of lightly sclerotized setose lobes
(Brown et al. 2020aBrown et al. 2020a:
Brown, J.W., Aarvik, L., Heikkilauml;, M., Brown, R., Mutanen, M. 2020a. A molecular phylogeny of Cochylina, with confirmation of its relationship to Euliina (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Systematic Entomology. 45: 160-174.).

We include Phtheochroa on this site because of its high diversity and the likelihood of encountering species during domestic tortricid surveys.

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.