Exotic
Adoxophyes honmai Yasuda (Tortricidae: Tortricinae: Archipini)
Common names: smaller tea tortrix
FWLFWL:
forewing length; the distance from the base of the forewing to the apex, including fringe
: 8.0-9.5 mm
Forewing pattern is similar to Adoxophyes orana and other Asian Adoxophyes, and the various species cannot be separated based solely on wing pattern.
Male genitalia are characterized by a finger-like uncusuncus:
a sclerotized process which is fused to the posterodorsal margin of tergum IX
; reduced sociisocii:
a pair of lightly sclerotized setose lobes
; spined transtilla lobes; and rounded, membranous valvaevalva:
an appendage flanking the intromittent organ that is used to clasp the female during copulation
. Female genitalia are characterized by a long ductus bursaeductus bursae:
a membranous tube connecting the ostium bursae to the corpus bursae
and strongly hooked signumsignum:
a sclerotized projection or patch on the interior of the corpus bursae
at the base of the corpus bursaecorpus bursae:
a dilated membranous sac at the anterior end of the bursa copulatrix
.
Although tea pests are not a top concern for U.S. agriculture, this species is treated here as part of the A. orana complex in Asia.
The following account is summarized from Sakamaki & Hayakawa (2004).
Similar to other Adoxophyes, late instar larvae vary in body color and are approximately 20 mm in length. The head and prothoracic shieldprothoracic shield:
a sclerotized plate on the dorsal surface of the prothorax 
are black in early instars and become brown to yellowish brown in later instars. Legs are unmarked. Sakamaki & Hayakawa (2004) attempted to separate the immature stages of the three Japanese species of Adoxophyes using morphology but the differences they found are too minor to be diagnostic.
Genitalia of A. honmai are similar to those of other Adoxophyes. According to Yasuda (1998)Yasuda (1998):
Yasuda, T. 1998. The Japanese species of the genus Adoxophyes Meyrick (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae). Transactions of the Lepidopterological Society of Japan. 49: 159-173., male A. honmai can be distinguished from A. orana based on the following combination of characters: uncusuncus:
a sclerotized process which is fused to the posterodorsal margin of tergum IX dorsally truncate and narrow; apical membranous projection on uncusuncus:
a sclerotized process which is fused to the posterodorsal margin of tergum IX small and shrunken; brachiola (membranous apical projection off valvavalva:
an appendage flanking the intromittent organ that is used to clasp the female during copulation) “finger-shaped;” and transtilla lobes not touching at the proximalproximal:
toward the base, nearest the body or point of attachment
ends. Females are distinguished from A. orana by a smaller bursa copulatrixbursa copulatrix:
the female genital chamber that is divided into the ductus bursae and the corpus bursae
and longer ductus bursaeductus bursae:
a membranous tube connecting the ostium bursae to the corpus bursae.
Adoxophyes honmai is similar to other species of Adoxophyes in Asia, including A. dubia (Japan), A. orana beijingensis (China), A. orana fasciata (Japan), A. orana orana (China, Korea, and Europe), and A. privatana (China). All are difficult to separate and molecular diagnostics may be required for a positive identification (see Lee et al. 2005Lee et al. 2005:
Lee, S. Y., Park, H., Boo, K. S., Park, K.-T., Cho, S. 2005. Molecular identification of Adoxophyes honmai (Yasuda) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) based on mitochondrial COI gene sequences. Molecules and Cells. 19: 391-397.).
The following account is summarized from Tamaki (1991)Tamaki (1991):
Tamaki, Y. 1991. Tortricids in tea, pp. 541-551. In : van der Geest , L. P. S., Evenhuis, H. H. (eds.), Tortricid Pests: Their Biology, Natural Enemies, and Control. World Crop Pests, Vol. 5. Elsevier, Amsterdam. and Yasuda (1998)Yasuda (1998):
Yasuda, T. 1998. The Japanese species of the genus Adoxophyes Meyrick (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae). Transactions of the Lepidopterological Society of Japan. 49: 159-173..
Adoxophyes honmai completes 4-5 generations per year in Japan. Adults are present April through June, June and July, July and August, and August through November. Adults are capable of long dispersal and can fly up to 5 km per night. Females lay eggs in masses on the underside of tea leaves. First instar larvae disperse to feed on young leaves or shoot tips. Later instars web together leaves to create a nest in which pupation occurs. Larvae complete 5-6 instars; overwintering occurs in the larval stage although there is no diapause.
Adoxophyes honmai is the most common pest of tea in Japan along with Homona magnanima Diakonoff. Larvae of A. honmai cause damage that is uniformly distributed on the tea bush, where the damage caused by H. magnanima is restricted to one area of the plant. Sakamaki and Hayakawa (2004) recorded Adoxophyes dubia as feeding on tea in Japan, sometimes occuring sympatrically with A. honmai.
In addition to tea, A. honmai has been recorded feed on host plants in several other families.
| Host plant | Host plant family | Reference(s) |
| Hedera thombea | Araliaceae | Sakamaki & Hayakawa 2004 |
| Solidago altissima | Asteraceae | Yasuda 1998Yasuda 1998: Yasuda, T. 1998. The Japanese species of the genus Adoxophyes Meyrick (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae). Transactions of the Lepidopterological Society of Japan. 49: 159-173. |
| Viburnum suspensum | Caprifoliaceae | Sakamaki & Hayakawa 2004 |
| Quercus phillyraeoides | Fagaceae | Yasuda 1998Yasuda 1998: Yasuda, T. 1998. The Japanese species of the genus Adoxophyes Meyrick (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae). Transactions of the Lepidopterological Society of Japan. 49: 159-173. |
| Michelia champaca | Magnoliaceae | Yasuda 1998Yasuda 1998: Yasuda, T. 1998. The Japanese species of the genus Adoxophyes Meyrick (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae). Transactions of the Lepidopterological Society of Japan. 49: 159-173. |
| Eucalyptus sp. | Myrtaceae | Nasu et al. 2004Nasu et al. 2004: Nasu, Y., Arita, Y., Kimura, M., Ogata, A. 2004. Some lepidopterous pests of eucalyptus trees from Japan. Japanese Journal of Applied Entomology and Zoology. 48: 123-133. |
| [unspecified] | Rosaceae | Yasuda 1998Yasuda 1998: Yasuda, T. 1998. The Japanese species of the genus Adoxophyes Meyrick (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae). Transactions of the Lepidopterological Society of Japan. 49: 159-173. |
| Camellia sinensis | Theaceae | Kim 1990Kim 1990: Kim, K. J. 1990. Distribution of tea tree insect pest and bionomics on the key insect pest in the tea tree plantation. Theses Col. Chonnam University. 35: 1-16.; Lee et al. 2005Lee et al. 2005: Lee, S. Y., Park, H., Boo, K. S., Park, K.-T., Cho, S. 2005. Molecular identification of Adoxophyes honmai (Yasuda) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) based on mitochondrial COI gene sequences. Molecules and Cells. 19: 391-397. |
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Adoxophyes honmai has been recorded from Japan and Korea. Other tea-feeding Adoxophyes species are present in Asia, and it is unknown if these are conspecific with A. honmai.
