Ctenopseustis obliquana

Type

Exotic

Taxonomy

Ctenopseustis obliquana (Walker) (Tortricidae: Tortricinae: Archipini)

Common names: brown-headed leafroller

Synonyms: charactana (Cacoecia), ropeana (Tortrix), spurcatana (Teras), transtrigana (Sciaphila), turbulentana (Sciaphila)

Adult Recognition

FWLFWL:
forewing length; the distance from the base of the forewing to the apex, including fringe
: 7.5-12.0 mm

Adults are brown to browish gray with a variable wing pattern. Most individuals have several dark markings along the costacosta:
the anterior margin of each wing
, including a remnant of the median fasciafascia:
a dark transverse band on the forewing
. Males have a long forewing costal foldforewing costal fold:
a flap or fold at the base of the forewing that contains specialized sex scales
that extends to half the length of the wing. Hindwings are mottledmottled:
having spots or blotches of color
in both males and females.

Male genitalia are characterized by a well-developed, broad uncusuncus:
a sclerotized process which is fused to the posterodorsal margin of tergum IX
; spined transtilla; and subrectangular valvaevalva:
an appendage flanking the intromittent organ that is used to clasp the female during copulation
. Female genitalia are characterized a sclerotizedsclerotized:
hardened; usually in reference to larval structures or adult genitalia
portion at the junction of the ductus bursaeductus bursae:
a membranous tube connecting the ostium bursae to the corpus bursae
and corpus bursaecorpus bursae:
a dilated membranous sac at the anterior end of the bursa copulatrix
and a robust, slightly curved signumsignum:
a sclerotized projection or patch on the interior of the corpus bursae
with a capitulumcapitulum:
in reference to the female signum; a knoblike projection
.

Larval Morphology

The following account is summarized from Dugdale et al. (2005) and supplemented by photos of mature larvae. No detailed descriptions of larval chaetotaxychaetotaxy:
the arrangement of setae (in reference to Lepidoptera larvae), often depicted on a "setal map"
exist.

Late instar larvae are approximately 20 mm in length with conspicuous pinaculapinaculum:
flattened sclerotized plates on a caterpillar that bear the setae
. The head is dark brown to reddish brown and may be marked with faint red mottling. The prothoracic shieldprothoracic shield:
a sclerotized plate on the dorsal surface of the prothorax
has dark shading on the laterallateral:
to the side
and posteriorposterior:
after, to the rear, toward anal end
margins. Earlier instars have a black head and prothoracic shieldprothoracic shield:
a sclerotized plate on the dorsal surface of the prothorax
.

Similar Species

The brown-headed leafroller complex in New Zealand contains several species that are not easy to distinguish. Dugdale et al. (2005) recommended using DNA sequence data to separate members of this complex. Langhoff et al. (2009) provided DNA barcode data for distinguishing Ctenopseustis and Planotortrix.

Biology

The following account is summarized from Wearing et al. (1991).

Ctenopseustis obliquana completes 4-6 overlapping generations per year. Adults are most common from November to March. Females lay eggs in smooth masses composed of up to 150 individual eggs. Early instar larvae web together shoot tips or roll leaves. Later instars feed on leaves, buds, and fruit of the host plant. Larvae typically undergo five to six instars. Larvae may cause economic damage by webbing leaves to fruit. Pupation occurs in the larval nest.

The brown-headed leafroller complex is an important horticultural pest in New Zealand. Larvae are highly polyphagous and have been recorded feeding on plants in more than 20 families.

Host plant	Host plant family	Reference(s)
Actinidia arguta	Actinidiaceae	Wise 1956bWise 1956b: Wise, K. A. J. 1956b. Records of Lepidoptera. The New Zealand Entomologist. 2: 19-20.
Actinidia deliciosa	Actinidiaceae	Stevens 1997Stevens 1997: Stevens, P. S. 1997. Host preferences of Trichogrammatoidea bactrae fumata (Hym.: Trichogrammatidae) an egg parasitoid of leafrollers (Lep.: Tortricidae). Entomophaga. 40: 379-385.; Hoy & Whiting 1998
Aster amellus	Asteraceae	Wise 1956aWise 1956a: Wise, K. A. J. 1956a. Records of three common leaf-rollers. The New Zealand Entomologist. 2: 15-18.
Avicennia marina var. resinifera	Avicenniaceae	Dugdale at al. 2005
Berberis sp.	Berberidaceae	Wise 1956aWise 1956a: Wise, K. A. J. 1956a. Records of three common leaf-rollers. The New Zealand Entomologist. 2: 15-18.
Blechnum capense	Blachnaceae	Dugdale MS 1993Dugdale MS 1993: Dugdale, J. D. 1993. Manuscript list of pteridophagous New Zealand Lepidoptera and their hosts (from Gaden Robinson, BMNH).
Lonicera sp.	Caprifoliaceae	Meyrick MS 1938Meyrick MS 1938: Meyrick MS 1938. Unpublished manuscript by E. Meyrick at BMNH, data captured by Gaeden Robinson.
Corynocarpus laevigata	Cornocarpaceae	Wise 1956aWise 1956a: Wise, K. A. J. 1956a. Records of three common leaf-rollers. The New Zealand Entomologist. 2: 15-18.
Diospyros kaki	Ebenaceae	Wise 1956aWise 1956a: Wise, K. A. J. 1956a. Records of three common leaf-rollers. The New Zealand Entomologist. 2: 15-18.
Clianthus puniceus	Fabaceae	Wise 1956aWise 1956a: Wise, K. A. J. 1956a. Records of three common leaf-rollers. The New Zealand Entomologist. 2: 15-18.
Dovyalis caffra	Flacourtiaceae	Wise 1956aWise 1956a: Wise, K. A. J. 1956a. Records of three common leaf-rollers. The New Zealand Entomologist. 2: 15-18.
Escallonia sp.	Grossulariaceae	Wise 1956aWise 1956a: Wise, K. A. J. 1956a. Records of three common leaf-rollers. The New Zealand Entomologist. 2: 15-18.
Ribes grossularia	Grossulariaceae	Wise 1956aWise 1956a: Wise, K. A. J. 1956a. Records of three common leaf-rollers. The New Zealand Entomologist. 2: 15-18.
Ribes nigrum	Grossulariaceae	Wise 1956aWise 1956a: Wise, K. A. J. 1956a. Records of three common leaf-rollers. The New Zealand Entomologist. 2: 15-18.
Acca sellowiana	Myrtaceae	Wise 1956aWise 1956a: Wise, K. A. J. 1956a. Records of three common leaf-rollers. The New Zealand Entomologist. 2: 15-18.
Eugenia smithii	Myrtaceae	Wise 1956aWise 1956a: Wise, K. A. J. 1956a. Records of three common leaf-rollers. The New Zealand Entomologist. 2: 15-18.
Cyclamen indicum	Primulaceae	Wise 1956aWise 1956a: Wise, K. A. J. 1956a. Records of three common leaf-rollers. The New Zealand Entomologist. 2: 15-18.
Malus domestica	Rosaceae	Wise 1956aWise 1956a: Wise, K. A. J. 1956a. Records of three common leaf-rollers. The New Zealand Entomologist. 2: 15-18.
Malus sp.	Rosaceae	Meyrick MS 1938Meyrick MS 1938: Meyrick MS 1938. Unpublished manuscript by E. Meyrick at BMNH, data captured by Gaeden Robinson.
Prunus armeniaca	Rosaceae	Barrett 1890Barrett 1890: Barrett, C. G. 1890. Ctenopseustis obliquana , Wlk., destructive in New Zealand. Entomologistsrsquo; Monthly Magazine 26: 217.; Wise 1956aWise 1956a: Wise, K. A. J. 1956a. Records of three common leaf-rollers. The New Zealand Entomologist. 2: 15-18.
Prunus persica	Rosaceae	Wise 1956aWise 1956a: Wise, K. A. J. 1956a. Records of three common leaf-rollers. The New Zealand Entomologist. 2: 15-18.

Host plant table (embedded)

View full screen host table here

Distribution

Ctenopseustis obliquana is a native of New Zealand. Reports of it being introduced into Hawaii are based on misidentifications (Austin & Rubinoff 2022).