Type

Exotic

Taxonomy

Planotortrix excessana (Walker) (Tortricidae: Tortricinae: Archipini)

Common names: greenheaded leafroller

Synonyms: biguttana (Teras)

Note: There are at least two pheromonally distinct races assigned to P. excessana which may represent distinct species.

Adult Recognition

FWL: 8.0-12.0 mm (males); 10.0-14.5 mm (females)

Forewings are pale orange brown to dark reddish brown. Males are generally darker than females. Most individuals lack prominent wing markings except for a dark spot in the distaldistal:
farthest from body, distant from point of attachment
one-third of the forewing. Some individuals have a series of faint dark spots covering the wing and/or a a white or pale spot in the basal one-third of the wing. Males have a forewing costal foldforewing costal fold:
a flap or fold at the base of the forewing that contains specialized sex scales
. The hindwings are pale brown. 

Male genitalia are characterized by an uncusuncus:
a sclerotized process which is fused to the posterodorsal margin of tergum IX
with a narrow base and broad, rounded apexapex:
the point furthest removed from the base or at the end of the costal area
; a spined transtilla; and broad, subrectangular valvaevalvae:
plural of "valva"
. Female genitalia are characterized by robust, slightly hooked signumsignum:
a sclerotized projection or patch on the interior of the corpus bursae
in the corpus bursaecorpus bursae:
a dilated membranous sac at the anterior end of the bursa copulatrix
.

Larval Morphology

The following account is summarized from Dugdale et al. (2005).

Last instar larvae are approximately 25 mm long and entirely green. The head is transparent light brown to green and may have faint brown mottling. The prothoracic shieldprothoracic shield:
a sclerotized plate on the dorsal surface of the prothorax
is pale green with no laterallateral:
to the side
shading. 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 10-12 teeth.

Similar Species

Adults are similar to other Planotortrix and the various species may be difficult to separate, even with a genitalic dissection. Dugdale et al. (2005) provided descriptions and illustrations for P. notophaea and P. octo in addition to P. excessana. Langhoff et al. (2009) used DNA barcodes to distinguish different species of Ctenopseustis and Planotortrix.

Biology

The following account is summarized from Wearing et al. (1991).

Planotortrix excessana completes 2-3 generations per year. On the South Island of New Zealand, adults are present October-December, February-March, and April-May.

Females lay eggs in masses that contain an average of 54 individual eggs. Egg masses of P. excessana have an opaque coating while those of P. octo are coated with white "particles." Early instars construct a silk shelter on the underside of leaves. Later instars web leaves together or web leaves to fruit and may cause economic damage by feeding directly on the surface of fruit. Pupation occurs in the larval shelter.

Larvae of P. excessana have been reported feeding on more than 100 species of plants; a partial host list is presented below. This species is a pest of strawberries, stone fruits, and walnuts in New Zealand.

Host plant	Host plant family	Reference(s)
Pseudopanax arboreus	Araliaceae	Meyrick MS 1938Meyrick MS 1938: Meyrick MS 1938. Unpublished manuscript by E. Meyrick at BMNH, data captured by Gaeden Robinson.
Chrysanthemum sp.	Asteraceae	Wise 1956aWise 1956a: Wise, K. A. J. 1956a. Records of three common leaf-rollers. The New Zealand Entomologist. 2: 15-18.
Corynocarpus laevigata	Cornocarpaceae	Wise 1956aWise 1956a: Wise, K. A. J. 1956a. Records of three common leaf-rollers. The New Zealand Entomologist. 2: 15-18.
Cupressus sempervirens	Cupressaceae	Wise 1956aWise 1956a: Wise, K. A. J. 1956a. Records of three common leaf-rollers. The New Zealand Entomologist. 2: 15-18.
Diospyros kaki	Ebenaceae	Wise 1956aWise 1956a: Wise, K. A. J. 1956a. Records of three common leaf-rollers. The New Zealand Entomologist. 2: 15-18.
Ribes nigrum	Grossulariaceae	Wise 1956aWise 1956a: Wise, K. A. J. 1956a. Records of three common leaf-rollers. The New Zealand Entomologist. 2: 15-18.
Fuchsia sp.	Onagraceae	Wise 1956aWise 1956a: Wise, K. A. J. 1956a. Records of three common leaf-rollers. The New Zealand Entomologist. 2: 15-18.
Cedrus deodara	Pinaceae	Wise 1956aWise 1956a: Wise, K. A. J. 1956a. Records of three common leaf-rollers. The New Zealand Entomologist. 2: 15-18.
Pittosporum crassifolium	Pittosporaceae	Wise 1956aWise 1956a: Wise, K. A. J. 1956a. Records of three common leaf-rollers. The New Zealand Entomologist. 2: 15-18.
Fragaria sp.	Rosaceae	Baker & Dick 1981
Malus domestica	Rosaceae	Wise 1956aWise 1956a: Wise, K. A. J. 1956a. Records of three common leaf-rollers. The New Zealand Entomologist. 2: 15-18.
Prunus armeniaca	Rosaceae	Wise 1956aWise 1956a: Wise, K. A. J. 1956a. Records of three common leaf-rollers. The New Zealand Entomologist. 2: 15-18.
Prunus persica	Rosaceae	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.
Prunus sp.	Rosaceae	Wise 1956aWise 1956a: Wise, K. A. J. 1956a. Records of three common leaf-rollers. The New Zealand Entomologist. 2: 15-18.
Rosa sp.	Rosaceae	Wise 1956aWise 1956a: Wise, K. A. J. 1956a. Records of three common leaf-rollers. The New Zealand Entomologist. 2: 15-18.
Rubus sp.	Rosaceae	Wise 1956aWise 1956a: Wise, K. A. J. 1956a. Records of three common leaf-rollers. The New Zealand Entomologist. 2: 15-18.
Citrus sp.	Rutaceae	Wise 1956aWise 1956a: Wise, K. A. J. 1956a. Records of three common leaf-rollers. The New Zealand Entomologist. 2: 15-18.; 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.
Salix sp.	Salicaceae	Wise 1956aWise 1956a: Wise, K. A. J. 1956a. Records of three common leaf-rollers. The New Zealand Entomologist. 2: 15-18.
Camellia japonica	Theaceae	Wise 1956bWise 1956b: Wise, K. A. J. 1956b. Records of Lepidoptera. The New Zealand Entomologist. 2: 19-20.
Vitis vinifera	Vitaceae	Wise 1956aWise 1956a: Wise, K. A. J. 1956a. Records of three common leaf-rollers. The New Zealand Entomologist. 2: 15-18.

Host plant table (embedded)

View full screen host table here

Distribution

Planotortrix excessana is native to New Zealand where it is present on both the North and South Islands. Reports of it being introduced into Hawaii are based on misidentifications of other introduced tortricids such as Amorbia emigratella or Epiphyas postvittana (Austin & Rubinoff 2022).

Larvae of P. excessana are occasionally intercepted at U.S. ports of entry on Fragaria, Malus, or Prunus originating in New Zealand.