Type

Native

Taxonomy

Pandemis pyrusana (Kearfott) (Tortricidae: Tortricinae: Archipini)

Common names: apple Pandemis

Synonyms: pyrana (Pandemis)

Adult Recognition

FWL: 8.0-12.5 mm (male); 9.5-14.0 mm (female)

Adults are golden brown with fasciatefasciate:
a wing pattern that is comprised primarily of transverse bands (fasciae)
markings and white hindwings. Males lack a forewing costal foldforewing costal fold:
a flap or fold at the base of the forewing that contains specialized sex scales
and have notched antennae.

Male genitalia are characterized by a broad, quadrate uncusuncus:
a sclerotized process which is fused to the posterodorsal margin of tergum IX
; large, circular valvaevalvae:
plural of "valva"
; and a pistol-shaped phallusphallus:
the male intromittent organ (penis); see "aedeagus"
. Female genitalia are characterized by a ductus bursaeductus bursae:
a membranous tube connecting the ostium bursae to the corpus bursae
with a lightly sclerotizedsclerotized:
hardened; usually in reference to larval structures or adult genitalia
portion near the ostiumostium:
see ostium bursae
and a short, slightly curved, daggar-like signumsignum:
a sclerotized projection or patch on the interior of the corpus bursae
with a moderate basal plate in the corpus bursaecorpus bursae:
a dilated membranous sac at the anterior end of the bursa copulatrix
. 

Larval Morphology

Young larvae were examined by MacKay (1962a) but not described. Larvae are presumably similar to other species of Nearctic Pandemis such as Pandemis limitata. 

Similar Species

Pandemis pyrusana is similar to Pandemis limitata and Pandemis canadana, and the three species are not easily separated. A combination of geographic distribution and wing color can assist in identification (see below). In the Pacific Northwest and central Rocky Mountains all three species are present and a reliable species-level identification is difficult or impossible based solely on morphology.

The following table lists a combination of wing color and geographic distribution that can be used to identify many Pandemis individuals collected in the U.S.

Pandemis species	Forewing color	Hindwing color	Sex scales on male 2nd abd. segment	Distribution
canadana	medium to dark brown	all gray	present	Maine, Colorado, Wyoming, Southern Canada
cerasana	straw to light brown	grayish brown	present	Pacific Northwest, British Columbia; Europe and Asia
heparana	medium brown	light to medium grayish brown	absent	Pacific Northwest, British Columbia; Europe and Asia
lamprosana	tan to light brown	white to light gray	absent	Northeastern U.S., southern Quebec and Ontario
limitata	straw to medium brown	gray and white	present	Eastern U.S. and southern Canada; generally absent in the U.S. west of the Rocky Mtns.
pyrusana	straw to medium brown	all white	present	Rocky Mtns. west to California, southern Alberta and British Columbia

MacKay (1962a) examined several species of Nearctic Pandemis and could find no species-specific larval characters. Diagnostic characters for the genus include: SD2 on A1-8 on same pinaculumpinaculum:
singular of "pinacula"
as SD1; L1 and L2 anterioranterior:
before, to the front, toward the head
to spiracle on A2-8; SV group on A1,2,7,8,9 usually 3:3:3:2:2; D2s on A8 as far apart as D1s; D1 on A9 on its own pinaculumpinaculum:
singular of "pinacula"
; anal setae very long; anal combanal comb:
a toothed structure on the last abdominal segment used to eject frass away from the feeding larva; also termed "anal fork"
with 6-8 teeth.

Biology

The following account is summarized from Newcomer & Carlson (1952).

Pandemis pyrusana completes one or two generations per year. Adults are present in the costal areas of California from May to July and again in September to November.

Females deposit eggs in masses on the upper surfaces of leaves and on fruit. Early instar larvae of the first (summer) generation feed under a shelter constructed along the mid-rib of a leaf. Later instars feed on foliage in various locations on the host and may cause economic damage by feeding between clusters of fruit. Larvae of the second generation overwinter in shelters at the base of trees or under bark. In the spring they begin feeding on terminal leaves and pupate in April or May inside a folded leaf.

Larvae of Pandemis pyrusana have been recorded feeding on the following host plants:

Host plant	Host plant family	Reference(s)
Alnus sp.	Betulaceae	Powell 2006Powell 2006: Powell, J. A. 2006. Database of Lepidoptera rearing lots, 1960-2005. University of California Berkeley, CA.
Betula occidentalis	Betulaceae	Powell 2006Powell 2006: Powell, J. A. 2006. Database of Lepidoptera rearing lots, 1960-2005. University of California Berkeley, CA.
Lonicera sp.	Caprifoliaceae	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.
Cornus sericea	Cornaceae	MacKay 1962aMacKay 1962a: MacKay, M. R. 1962a. Larvae of the North American Tortricinae (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Canadian Entomologist, Supplement 28: 1-182.
Ribes sp.	Grossulariaceae	Powell 2006Powell 2006: Powell, J. A. 2006. Database of Lepidoptera rearing lots, 1960-2005. University of California Berkeley, CA.
Ceanothus cuneatus	Rhamnaceae	Powell 1964bPowell 1964b: Powell, J. A. 1964b. Biological and taxonomic studies on tortricine moths, with reference to the species in California. University of California Publications in Entomology. Vol. 32. 317 pp.
Malus pumila	Rosaceae	Powell 1964bPowell 1964b: Powell, J. A. 1964b. Biological and taxonomic studies on tortricine moths, with reference to the species in California. University of California Publications in Entomology. Vol. 32. 317 pp.
Malus sp.	Rosaceae	Kearfott 1907aKearfott 1907a: Kearfott, W. D. 1907a. New North American Tortricidae. Transactions of the American Entomological Society. 33: 1-98.; Borden 1926Borden 1926: Borden, A. D. 1926. Some comparatively new apple insect pests in California. Pan-Pacific Entomologist. 3: 91-92.; Newcomer 1950Newcomer 1950: Newcomer, E. J. 1950. Orchard insects of the Pacific Northwest and their control. USDA Circular 270. 63 pp.; Newcomer & Carlson 1952: Brunner 1999Brunner 1999: Brunner, J. F. 1999. New pests: a challenge for areawide programs. Proceedings of the Washington Horticultural Association. 95: 154-158.
Prunus avium	Rosaceae	Powell 1962aPowell 1962a: Powell, J. A. 1962a. Host-parasite relationships of California Tortricinae. Pan-Pacific Entomologist. 38: 131-140.
Prunus virginiana	Rosaceae	LaGasa database 2004LaGasa database 2004: LaGasa database. 2004. Food plant data base and personal communications with E. LaGasa, Washington State Department of Agriculture.
Prunus sp.	Rosaceae	Powell 2006Powell 2006: Powell, J. A. 2006. Database of Lepidoptera rearing lots, 1960-2005. University of California Berkeley, CA.
Pyrus sp.	Rosaceae	Meyrick MS 1938Meyrick MS 1938: Meyrick MS 1938. Unpublished manuscript by E. Meyrick at BMNH, data captured by Gaeden Robinson.
Rosa sp.	Rosaceae	Powell 2006Powell 2006: Powell, J. A. 2006. Database of Lepidoptera rearing lots, 1960-2005. University of California Berkeley, CA.
Populus tremuloides	Salicaceae	Powell 2006Powell 2006: Powell, J. A. 2006. Database of Lepidoptera rearing lots, 1960-2005. University of California Berkeley, CA.
Salix lasiolepis	Salicaceae	Powell 1964bPowell 1964b: Powell, J. A. 1964b. Biological and taxonomic studies on tortricine moths, with reference to the species in California. University of California Publications in Entomology. Vol. 32. 317 pp.
Salix sessilifolia	Salicaceae	Powell 1964bPowell 1964b: Powell, J. A. 1964b. Biological and taxonomic studies on tortricine moths, with reference to the species in California. University of California Publications in Entomology. Vol. 32. 317 pp.
Salix sp.	Salicaceae	Powell 2006Powell 2006: Powell, J. A. 2006. Database of Lepidoptera rearing lots, 1960-2005. University of California Berkeley, CA.

Host plant table (embedded)

View full screen host table here

Distribution

Pandemis pyrusana is distributed from Alberta west to British Columbia, south to Idaho, Utah, Colorado, and California.

Links

Additional photos and a distribution map of this species in North America are available at Moth Photographers Group.