Native
Archips purpurana (Clemens) (Tortricidae: Tortricinae: Archipini)
Synonyms: guritana (Cacoecia), gurgitana (Tortrix), lintneriana (Tortrix)
FWLFWL:
forewing length; the distance from the base of the forewing to the apex, including fringe
: 8.5-11.0 mm (male); 10.5-12.5 mm (female)
Forewing color varies from brown to dark purplish brown, with brown to dark-brown markings and reticulationsreticulations:
covered with a network of lines or mesh; in reference to wing pattern, usually thin horizontal lines 
. The costal margincostal margin:
see costa 
of the forewing is sinuatesinuate:
a curved or wavy margin
, especially in the female. The male forewing costal foldforewing costal fold:
a flap or fold at the base of the forewing that contains specialized sex scales
is expressed as a rolling of the costal margincostal margin:
see costa that does not completely extend to the base of the wing.
Male genitalia are characterized by a finger-like uncusuncus:
a sclerotized process which is fused to the posterodorsal margin of tergum IX
; absent sociisocii:
a pair of lightly sclerotized setose lobes
; and large, membranous, nearly triangular valvaevalva:
an appendage flanking the intromittent organ that is used to clasp the female during copulation
. Female genitalia are characterized by a long, straight ductus bursaeductus bursae:
a membranous tube connecting the ostium bursae to the corpus bursae
with a cestumcestum:
a long, bandlike sclerotization of the wall of the ductus bursae
; and a long, daggar-like 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
.
The following account is summarized from MacKay (1962a) and Chapman & Lienk (1971).
Last instar larvae are 20-30 mm in length. The abdomen is pale bluish green. The head is yellowish brown. The prothoracic shieldprothoracic shield:
a sclerotized plate on the dorsal surface of the prothorax 
is yellowish brown, with pair of semi-rectangular black spots on the posterolateralposterolateral:
towards the rear and side; posterior and lateral 
margin. The thoracic legs are pale and unmarked.
A more detailed account of larval chaetotaxychaetotaxy:
the arrangement of setae (in reference to Lepidoptera larvae), often depicted on a "setal map"
is available in MacKay (1962a).
Adults of A. purpurana could be confused with Choristoneura rosaceana but can be distinguished by the more strongly sinuatesinuate:
a curved or wavy margin costal margincostal margin:
see costa in the females and proportionally broader forewing in the males.
Late instar larvae can be easily confused with those of Clepsis melaleucanus, which are similar in appearance and occur in the same habitat.
The following account is summarized from Chapman & Lienk (1971).
Archips purpurana completes a single generation over most of its range. Adults are present in June and July.
Females lay eggs in masses, presumably on the upper surface of leaves. Early instar larvae feed on foliage, occasionally webbing leaves to fruit. Overwintering occurs as a third instar larva, either in fallen leaves on the ground or possibly in the host tree. In the spring, larvae crawl up into any non-coniferous host to complete development. Pupation occurs in the final larval feeding site.
Larvae of A. purpurana are highly polyphagous and have been recorded feeding on plants in approximately 20 families. Although larvae have been recorded from economically important species such as apple, it is likely that A. purpurana is a general feeder that utilizes any readily available host.
| Host plant | Host plant family | Reference(s) |
| Rhus sp. | Anacardiaceae | Freeman 1958Freeman 1958: Freeman, T. N. 1958. The Archipinae of North America (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Canadian Entomologist, Supplement 7 (Vol. 90): 1-89. |
| Erigeron annuus | Asteraceae | LACM IndexLACM Index: LACM Index. Records from the card file at the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, Los Angeles, California; transcribed by Gaeden Robinson (BMNH). |
| Solidago sp. | Asteraceae | Freeman 1958Freeman 1958: Freeman, T. N. 1958. The Archipinae of North America (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Canadian Entomologist, Supplement 7 (Vol. 90): 1-89.; Schaffner 1959Schaffner 1959: Schaffner, J. V. 1959. Microlepidoptera and their parasites reared from field collections in the northeastern United States. USDA, Misc. Publ. 767. 97 pp.; MacKay 1962aMacKay 1962a: MacKay, M. R. 1962a. Larvae of the North American Tortricinae (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Canadian Entomologist, Supplement 28: 1-182. |
| Betula sp. | Betulaceae | Ferguson 1975Ferguson 1975: Ferguson, D. C. 1975. Host records for Lepidoptera reared in eastern North America. United States Department of Agriculture Technical Bulletin 1521. 49 pp. |
| Betula papyrifera | Betulaceae | Prentice 1966Prentice 1966: Prentice, R. M. 1966. Vol. 4. Microlepidoptera. In : Forest Lepidoptera of Canada recorded by the Forest Insect Survey. Dept. For. Canada Publ. 1142: 543-840. |
| Viburnum sp. | Caprifoliaceae | Ferguson 1975Ferguson 1975: Ferguson, D. C. 1975. Host records for Lepidoptera reared in eastern North America. United States Department of Agriculture Technical Bulletin 1521. 49 pp. |
| Cornus canadensis | Cornaceae | Ferguson 1975Ferguson 1975: Ferguson, D. C. 1975. Host records for Lepidoptera reared in eastern North America. United States Department of Agriculture Technical Bulletin 1521. 49 pp. |
| Sedum sp. | Crassulaceae | Schaffner 1959Schaffner 1959: Schaffner, J. V. 1959. Microlepidoptera and their parasites reared from field collections in the northeastern United States. USDA, Misc. Publ. 767. 97 pp. |
| Sempervivum tectorum | Crassulaceae | Schaffner 1959Schaffner 1959: Schaffner, J. V. 1959. Microlepidoptera and their parasites reared from field collections in the northeastern United States. USDA, Misc. Publ. 767. 97 pp. |
| Vaccinium sp. | Ericaceae | Freeman 1958Freeman 1958: Freeman, T. N. 1958. The Archipinae of North America (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Canadian Entomologist, Supplement 7 (Vol. 90): 1-89. |
| Lupinus sp. | Fabaceae | Chapman & Lienk 1971 |
| Quercus macrocarpa | Fagaceae | Prentice 1966Prentice 1966: Prentice, R. M. 1966. Vol. 4. Microlepidoptera. In : Forest Lepidoptera of Canada recorded by the Forest Insect Survey. Dept. For. Canada Publ. 1142: 543-840. |
| Geranium sp. | Geraniaceae | Forbes 1923Forbes 1923: Forbes, W. M. T. 1923. The Lepidoptera of New York and neighboring states. Primitive forms, Microlepidoptera, Pyraloids, Bombyces. Cornell Univ. Argic. Exp. Sta., Mem. 68. 729 pp.; Freeman 1958Freeman 1958: Freeman, T. N. 1958. The Archipinae of North America (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Canadian Entomologist, Supplement 7 (Vol. 90): 1-89. |
| Ribes sp. | Grossulariaceae | Freeman 1958Freeman 1958: Freeman, T. N. 1958. The Archipinae of North America (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Canadian Entomologist, Supplement 7 (Vol. 90): 1-89. |
| Sassafras sp. | Lauraceae | Freeman 1958Freeman 1958: Freeman, T. N. 1958. The Archipinae of North America (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Canadian Entomologist, Supplement 7 (Vol. 90): 1-89. |
| Maianthemum racemosum | Liliaceae | LACM IndexLACM Index: LACM Index. Records from the card file at the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, Los Angeles, California; transcribed by Gaeden Robinson (BMNH). |
| Fraxinus sp. | Oleaceae | Prentice 1966Prentice 1966: Prentice, R. M. 1966. Vol. 4. Microlepidoptera. In : Forest Lepidoptera of Canada recorded by the Forest Insect Survey. Dept. For. Canada Publ. 1142: 543-840. |
| Fragaria sp. | Rosaceae | Freeman 1958Freeman 1958: Freeman, T. N. 1958. The Archipinae of North America (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Canadian Entomologist, Supplement 7 (Vol. 90): 1-89. |
| Malus sp. | Rosaceae | Chapman & Lienk 1971 |
| Prunus sp. | Rosaceae | Schaffner 1959Schaffner 1959: Schaffner, J. V. 1959. Microlepidoptera and their parasites reared from field collections in the northeastern United States. USDA, Misc. Publ. 767. 97 pp.; Freeman 1958Freeman 1958: Freeman, T. N. 1958. The Archipinae of North America (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Canadian Entomologist, Supplement 7 (Vol. 90): 1-89. |
| Prunus pensylvanica | Rosaceae |
View full screen host table here
Archips purpurana is broadly distributed throughout eastern North America from Nova Scotia south to North Carolina and Tennessee and west to Alberta.
