Exotic
Cryptaspasma (Cryptaspasma) perseana Gilligan & Brown (Tortricidae: Olethreutinae: Microcorsini)
FWLFWL:
forewing length; the distance from the base of the forewing to the apex, including fringe
: 10.0-12.0 mm
Males are pale brown with black and grayish-purple markings that give an overall grayish-brown appearance. Females are uniformly dark grayish brown. Both males and females have a conspicuous light dot on the distaldistal:
farthest from body, distant from point of attachment
one-third of the forewing; this dot is usually orange in males and whitish in females. Hindwings are brown. Males lack a forewing costal foldforewing costal fold:
a flap or fold at the base of the forewing that contains specialized sex scales
.
Male genitalia are characterized by an elongate uncusuncus:
a sclerotized process which is fused to the posterodorsal margin of tergum IX
that is widened above the base and tapered towards the apexapex:
the point furthest removed from the base or at the end of the costal area 
, densely setosesetose:
covered with setae
socii, and subtriangular valvaevalva:
an appendage flanking the intromittent organ that is used to clasp the female during copulation
. Female genitalia are characterized by broad papillae analespapillae anales:
the female ovipositor lobes 
and two large signasignum:
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
. Males have two large patches of corematacoremata:
sex scales, usually found in the male 
on the posteriorposterior:
after, to the rear, toward anal end 
margin of segment VIII that are composed of scales of a uniform length.
The following account is summarized from Gilligan et al. (2011).
Larvae are orange to pink with a yellowish brown head and prothoracic shieldprothoracic shield:
a sclerotized plate on the dorsal surface of the prothorax 
. Pinaculapinaculum:
flattened sclerotized plates on a caterpillar that bear the setae
are weakly sclerotizedsclerotized:
hardened; usually in reference to larval structures or adult genitalia 
. Diagnostic characters include: D2 setae on A8 on the same " saddlesaddle:
in reference to the D2 pinacula on larval segment A9; both setae are on a single, fused pinaculum in the mid-dorsal region of the segment 
" pinaculumpinaculum:
flattened sclerotized plates on a caterpillar that bear the setae; D1, D2, and SD1 setae on A9 all on the same large " saddlesaddle:
in reference to the D2 pinacula on larval segment A9; both setae are on a single, fused pinaculum in the mid-dorsal region of the segment " pinaculumpinaculum:
flattened sclerotized plates on a caterpillar that bear the setae; L pinaculumpinaculum:
flattened sclerotized plates on a caterpillar that bear the setae on A9 bi setosesetose:
covered with setae; and anal combanal comb:
a toothed structure on the last abdominal segment used to eject frass away from the feeding larva; also termed "anal fork" 
absent.
The subgenus Cryptaspasma contains a total of six species, including C. perseana, all of which are difficult to separate. The only confirmed species present in North America north of Mexico is Cryptaspasma bipenicilla, which can be separated from most described Neotropical Cryptaspasma (subgenus Cryptaspasma) by corematacoremata:
sex scales, usually found in the male composed of two lengths of scales on the male abdomen. A second species, C. lugubris has been reported from Florida, but this requires confirmation.
The following account is summarized from Hoddle & Hoddle (2008) and Gilligan et al. (2011) from larvae reared under laboratory conditions.
Females lay eggs in masses of 2-73 individual eggs on smooth surfaces, including avocado fruit and seeds. Eggs hatch in approximately 11 days and larvae bore into avocado seeds. A single avocado seed can support 5-8 individual larvae. Larval damage is characterized by feeding tunnels in seeds, damaged pulp, and accumulation of frass at the opening of feeding tunnels. Larval development is completed in approximately three weeks, and pupation occurs outside of the seed, possibly under bark or in leaf litter.
Larvae of Cryptaspasma perseana feed in avocado seeds.
| Host plant | Host plant family | Reference(s) |
| Prioria copaifera | Fabaceae | Brown et al. 2020bBrown et al. 2020b: Brown, J. W., Gripenberg, S., Basset, Y., Calderoacute;n, O., Simon, I., Fernandez, C., Cedeno, M., Rivera, M. 2020b. Host Records for Tortricidae (Lepidoptera) Reared from Seeds and Fruits in Panama. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 122(1): 12-24. |
| Persea americana | Lauraceae | Gilligan et al. 2011 |
View full screen host table here
Cryptaspasma perseana is recorded from Michoacan, Mexico and Central Guatemala.
