Native
Pseudogalleria inimicella (Zeller) (Tortricidae: Olethreutrinae: Grapholitini)
Common name: inimical borer moth
FWL: 7.9-10.4 mm (males); 10.3-11.1 mm (females)
Head, thorax, and labial palpilabial palpi:
a pair of sensory appendages that project from the lower part of the head; usually covered in scales and three-segmented
pale yellow tan; thorax pale yellow brown to red-brown; male hindlegs without sex scales; forewing ground color pale gray, basal area pale yellow tan, middle of wing red-brown, distinctive red-brown curved line along distaldistal:
farthest from body, distant from point of attachment
portion of wing, from approximately just below apexapex:
the point furthest removed from the base or at the end of the costal area 
to mid-termen; hindwing brown.
Male genitalia are characterized by uncusuncus:
a sclerotized process which is fused to the posterodorsal margin of tergum IX
and sociisocii:
a pair of lightly sclerotized setose lobes
absent, valvaevalvae:
plural of "valva"
moderately short, enlarged distally with large spines on inner face. Female genitalia are characterized by simple, narrow papillae analespapillae anales:
the female ovipositor lobes 
; corpus bursaecorpus bursae:
a dilated membranous sac at the anterior end of the bursa copulatrix
without distinct band of scobinations; signasigna:
plural of "signum"
present as a pair of short, opposed, knife-like signasigna:
plural of "signum".
The larva was first described by MacKay (1959)MacKay (1959):
MacKay, M. R. 1959. Larvae of the North American Olethreutidae (Lepidoptera). Canadian Entomologist, Supplement 10: 1-338.. The following account is summarized from Adamski & Brown (2001).
Mature larva 17-19 mm in length; spicules moderately distinct; pinaculapinacula:
flattened sclerotized plates on a caterpillar that bear the setae
extremely large, lacking spicules; body pale, slender; prothoracic shieldprothoracic shield:
a sclerotized plate on the dorsal surface of the prothorax 
yellow with faint pale brown specks; L-group trisetose on prothoraxprothorax:
the most anterior thoracic segment
; SV group on A1, 2, 7, 8, 9 usually 3:3:3:2:2 but somewhat variable; anal fork absent.
A detailed description of larval chaetotaxychaetotaxy:
the arrangement of setae (in reference to Lepidoptera larvae), often depicted on a "setal map"
is available in Adamski & Brown (2001).
Pupa 9.0-11.5 mm in length, 2.5-2.8 mm in width. A detailed description is available in Adamski & Brown (2001).
Externally, adults are more likely to be confused with Galleria mellonella (Pyralidae) than most tortricids. Galleria mellonella is a frequent pest of bee hives, with larvae eating the wax, cast skins, and dried materials in weakened or neglected colonies. Adults average larger than P. inimicella (FWLFWL:
forewing length; the distance from the base of the forewing to the apex, including fringe
10-16 mm compared to 7.9-11.1 in P. inimicella) and lack the curved line present along the termentermen:
the outer edge of the forewing 
present in P. inimicella. Genitalia readily separate the two species.
Larvae bore in the roots and stems of Smilax (Smilacaceae). Little else is known about their biology. Adults can be found from April through September throughout most of their range and most of the year in Texas and Florida. A single generation per year is the likely scenario in the northern US, but multiple generations may occur per year in the south.
| Host plant | Host plant family | Reference(s) |
| Smilax herbacea | Smilacaceae | Heinrich 1923; MacKay 1959MacKay 1959: MacKay, M. R. 1959. Larvae of the North American Olethreutidae (Lepidoptera). Canadian Entomologist, Supplement 10: 1-338. |
| Smilax sp. | Smilacaceae | Heinrich 1923bHeinrich 1923b: Heinrich, C. 1923b. Revision of the North American moths of the subfamily Eucosminae of the family Olethreutidae. Bulletin of the United States National Museum. 123: 1-298.; Putman 1942Putman 1942: Putman, W.L. 1942. Host plants and parasites of some lepidopterous larvae. Canadian Entomologist. 74: 219-224. |
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Pseudogalleria inimicella is widespread in eastern North America, from Maine to Florida, west to Texas, Indiana, and Manitoba.
