Type

Exotic

Taxonomy

Cryptophlebia peltastica (Meyrick) (Tortricidae: Olethreutinae: Grapholitini)

Common names: litchi moth

Adult Recognition

FWLFWL:
forewing length; the distance from the base of the forewing to the apex, including fringe
: 8.0-13.0 mm

Adults are brown to reddish brown with a dark brown pretornal spot that is reduced in males. Males have sex scales on the hindwing, hind tibia, and abdomen. 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 swollen valvaevalva:
an appendage flanking the intromittent organ that is used to clasp the female during copulation
with three large spines on the cuculluscucullus:
the distal portion of the male valva
and a densely setosesetose:
covered with setae
distaldistal:
farthest from body, distant from point of attachment
margin. Female genitalia are characterized by an ovate sterigmasterigma:
the sclerotized region surrounding the female ostium bursae
that is surrounded with, and fused to, the posteriorposterior:
after, to the rear, toward anal end
margin of sternum VII and two 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
. 

Larval Morphology

The following account is summarized from Williams (1953)Williams (1953):
Williams, J. R. 1953. The larvae and pupae of some important Lepidoptera. Bulletin of Entomological Research. 43: 691-701., Timm (2005)Timm (2005):
Timm, A. E. 2005. Morphological and molecular studies of Tortricid moths of economic importance to the South African fruit industry. Ph.D. dissertation, Stellenbosch University, South Africa. 127 pp., and Rentel (2013)Rentel (2013):
Rentel, M. Morphology and taxonomy of tortricid moth pests attacking fruit crops in South Africa. Ph.D. dissertation, Stellenbosch University, South Africa. 133 pp..

Mature larva approximately 20 mm in length; head dark brown; body reddish to pink; anal fork absent. Other characters likely similar to those found in C. illepida and C. ombrodelta. Other diagnostic features of Cryptophlebia larvae include: T1 prespiracular pinaculumpinaculum:
flattened sclerotized plates on a caterpillar that bear the setae
extends below the spiracle; SV counts on A1,2,7,8,9 as 3:3:2(3):2(1):1; SV seta on A8 and A9 bi setosesetose:
covered with setae
; spiracle on A8 near posteriorposterior:
after, to the rear, toward anal end
margin of segment and displaced dorsally; L group on A9 usually trisetose (occasionally bisetose); D1 and SD1 setae on same pinaculumpinaculum:
flattened sclerotized plates on a caterpillar that bear the setae
on A9; and D2 setae on shared 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
on A9.

Detailed figures of larval chaetotaxychaetotaxy:
the arrangement of setae (in reference to Lepidoptera larvae), often depicted on a "setal map"
are available in Timm (2005)Timm (2005):
Timm, A. E. 2005. Morphological and molecular studies of Tortricid moths of economic importance to the South African fruit industry. Ph.D. dissertation, Stellenbosch University, South Africa. 127 pp. and Rentel (2013)Rentel (2013):
Rentel, M. Morphology and taxonomy of tortricid moth pests attacking fruit crops in South Africa. Ph.D. dissertation, Stellenbosch University, South Africa. 133 pp..

 

Similar Species

Adults of most Cryptophlebia species are superficially similar and are often mixed in museum collections. A genitalic dissection is usually necessary to confirm identity. The three species treated here, C. illepida, C. ombrodelta, and C. peltastica, can be separated by genitalic characters and geographic distribution, as outlined in the following table:

Cryptophlebia species	Male valvavalva: an appendage flanking the intromittent organ that is used to clasp the female during copulation	Female sterigmasterigma: the sclerotized region surrounding the female ostium bursae	Distribution
illepida	Two large spines, multiple rows of marginal spines	Wide, V-shaped	Hawaii
ombrodelta	Three large spines	Narrow, V-shaped, separate	Australia, Guam, Japan, India, Southeast Asia, Hawaii (int.)
peltastica	Three large spines, margin densely setosesetose: covered with setae	Narrow, ovate, deeply inset	Africa, Seychelles, Mauritius, Guam (int.)

 

Biology

The following account is summarized from Newton & Crause (1990).

Development of C. peltastica is continuous, and adults are present year-round. Females lay eggs singly on fruit. Larvae tunnel through the skin and into the fruit, and feed on the seeds. Larval development is complete in 2-4 weeks. Pupation occurs in the fruit or in the ground. Adults emerge in 1-2 weeks.

Cryptophlebia peltastica is the primary pest of litchi in South Africa and Mauritius, with larvae damaging up to 20% of fruits in commercial orchards. This species is also a pest of macadamia in South Africa. Larvae have been recorded feeding on a variety of plants, and their polyphagous nature allows them to continue development when primary hosts are unavailable.

Host plant	Host plant family	Reference(s)
Acacia karroo	Fabaceae	McGeoch 1993McGeoch 1993: McGeoch, M. A. 1993. The Microlepidoptera associated with a fungus gall on Acacia karroo Hayne in South Africa. African Entomology. 1: 49-56.; McGeoch & Kruger 1994; Kruger 1998Kruger 1998: Kruger, M. 1998. Identification of the adults of Lepidoptera inhabiting Ravenelia macowaniana Pazschke (Uredinales) galls on Acaia karroo Hayne (Fabaceae) in southern Africa. African Entomology. 6: 55-74.
Bauhinia sp.	Fabaceae	Bradley 1953aBradley 1953a: Bradley, J. D. 1953. Some important species of the genus Cryptophlebia Walsingham, 1899, with descriptions of three new species (Lepidoptera: Olethreutidae). Bulletin of Entomological Research. 43: 679-689.; Clarke 1976Clarke 1976: Clarke, J. F. G. 1976. Microlepidoptera: Tortricoidea. Insects of Micronesia. 9: 1-144.
Caesalpinia pulcherrima	Fabaceae	Clarke 1976Clarke 1976: Clarke, J. F. G. 1976. Microlepidoptera: Tortricoidea. Insects of Micronesia. 9: 1-144.
Canavalia ensiformis	Fabaceae	Meyrick 1930Meyrick 1930: Meyrick, E. 1930. Exotic Microlepidoptera. 3(19): 577-608.; Ghesquiere 1940Ghesquiere 1940: Ghesquiere, J. 1940. Catalogues raisonneacute;s de la Faune Entomologique du Congo Belge. Leacute;pidoptegrave;res, Microleacute;pidoptegrave;res (I). Ann. Mus. Congo Belge. C, Zool. Ser. 3(2): 1-120.; Bradley 1953aBradley 1953a: Bradley, J. D. 1953. Some important species of the genus Cryptophlebia Walsingham, 1899, with descriptions of three new species (Lepidoptera: Olethreutidae). Bulletin of Entomological Research. 43: 679-689.
Canavalia sp.	Fabaceae	Clarke 1976Clarke 1976: Clarke, J. F. G. 1976. Microlepidoptera: Tortricoidea. Insects of Micronesia. 9: 1-144.
Ceratonia siliqua	Fabaceae	Bradley 1953aBradley 1953a: Bradley, J. D. 1953. Some important species of the genus Cryptophlebia Walsingham, 1899, with descriptions of three new species (Lepidoptera: Olethreutidae). Bulletin of Entomological Research. 43: 679-689.; USNM collectionUSNM collection: USNM collection. Based on identified reared specimens in the collection of the National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C.
Delonix regia	Fabaceae	Bradley 1953aBradley 1953a: Bradley, J. D. 1953. Some important species of the genus Cryptophlebia Walsingham, 1899, with descriptions of three new species (Lepidoptera: Olethreutidae). Bulletin of Entomological Research. 43: 679-689.; Clarke 1976Clarke 1976: Clarke, J. F. G. 1976. Microlepidoptera: Tortricoidea. Insects of Micronesia. 9: 1-144.
Gleditsia triacanthos	Fabaceae	Clarke 1976Clarke 1976: Clarke, J. F. G. 1976. Microlepidoptera: Tortricoidea. Insects of Micronesia. 9: 1-144.
Piptadenia sp.	Fabaceae	Clarke 1976Clarke 1976: Clarke, J. F. G. 1976. Microlepidoptera: Tortricoidea. Insects of Micronesia. 9: 1-144.
Schotia afra	Fabaceae	Taylor 1951Taylor 1951: Taylor, J. S. 1951. Notes on Lepidoptera in the Eastern Cape Province (Part II). Journal of the Entomological Society of South Africa. 14: 94-126.; Clarke 1976Clarke 1976: Clarke, J. F. G. 1976. Microlepidoptera: Tortricoidea. Insects of Micronesia. 9: 1-144.
Tamarindus indica	Fabaceae	Bradley 1953aBradley 1953a: Bradley, J. D. 1953. Some important species of the genus Cryptophlebia Walsingham, 1899, with descriptions of three new species (Lepidoptera: Olethreutidae). Bulletin of Entomological Research. 43: 679-689.; Clarke 1976Clarke 1976: Clarke, J. F. G. 1976. Microlepidoptera: Tortricoidea. Insects of Micronesia. 9: 1-144.; USNM collectionUSNM collection: USNM collection. Based on identified reared specimens in the collection of the National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C.
Citrus x sinensis	Rutaceae	Clarke 1976Clarke 1976: Clarke, J. F. G. 1976. Microlepidoptera: Tortricoidea. Insects of Micronesia. 9: 1-144.
Litchi chinensis	Sapindaceae	Clarke 1976Clarke 1976: Clarke, J. F. G. 1976. Microlepidoptera: Tortricoidea. Insects of Micronesia. 9: 1-144.; Newton & Crause 1990
Litchi sp.	Sapindaceae	Bradley 1953aBradley 1953a: Bradley, J. D. 1953. Some important species of the genus Cryptophlebia Walsingham, 1899, with descriptions of three new species (Lepidoptera: Olethreutidae). Bulletin of Entomological Research. 43: 679-689.

Host plant table (embedded)

View full screen host table here

Distribution

Cryptophlebia peltastica is broadly distributed in Africa and has also been recorded from the Seychelles, Madagascar, and Mauritius. It has been introduced to Guam (Bradley 1953).