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Spilonota ocellana

Type

Exotic, but established

Taxonomy

Spilonota ocellana (Denis & Schiffermüller) (Tortricidae: Olethreutinae: Eucosmini)

Common names: eye-spotted bud moth

Synonyms: centralasiae (ssp.), comitana (Tortrix), luscana (Pyralis), occulana (Penthina), pyrifoliana (Hedya), zellerana (Tmetocera)

Adult Recognition

FWL: 5.5-8.0 mm

Adults are grayish brown and are found in both light and dark forms. Forewing markings include a wide median fasciafascia:
a dark transverse band on the forewing
which ranges in color from white to cream to gray, a dark-brown mark on the dorsumdorsum:
the lower (usually posterior) or inner margin
proximal to the tornustornus:
the junction of the termen and dorsum of the wing
, and a series of small black dashes in the ocellusocellus:
forewing pattern element - an ovoid region anterior to the tornus; adult head - a simple insect "eye" located dorsal to the compound eye
. In many individuals the median fasciafascia:
a dark transverse band on the forewing
is confluent with the postmedian and preterminal fasciaefasciae:
plural of "fascia"
, creating an overall gray or whitish appearance. Males have a notch at the base of the antenna and lack a forewing costal foldforewing costal fold:
a flap or fold at the base of the forewing that contains specialized sex scales
. The hindwings are brown.

Male genitalia are characterized by the absence of an uncusuncus:
a sclerotized process which is fused to the posterodorsal margin of tergum IX
; nub-like sociisocii:
a pair of lightly sclerotized setose lobes
; and thin, hook-shaped valvaevalvae:
plural of "valva"
 with a prominent, thorn-like seta present on the apexapex:
the point furthest removed from the base or at the end of the costal area
of the cuculluscucullus:
the distal portion of the male valva
. Female genitalia are characterized by a bilobed, plate-like sterigmasterigma:
the sclerotized region surrounding the female ostium bursae
and two thorn-like signasigna:
plural of "signum"
 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 MacKay (1959)MacKay (1959):
MacKay, M. R. 1959. Larvae of the North American Olethreutidae (Lepidoptera). Canadian Entomologist, Supplement 10: 1-338..

Mature larva approximately 9-14 mm in length; width of head 1.0 mm on average; head reddish-brown with darker laterallateral:
to the side
 pigmentation; prothoracic shieldprothoracic shield:
a sclerotized plate on the dorsal surface of the prothorax
reddish-brown to black; legs brown; body gray to dull reddish-brown; pinaculapinacula:
flattened sclerotized plates on a caterpillar that bear the setae
 large, darker than body color; anal shieldanal shield:
a sclerotized plate on the dorsal surface of the last abdominal segment (in larvae)
yellowish to dark brown; anal fork present with 3-8 teeth; SV count on A1, 2, 7, 8, 9 usually 3:3:2:2:2.

Detailed figures of larval chaetotaxychaetotaxy:
the arrangement of setae (in reference to Lepidoptera larvae), often depicted on a "setal map"
 are available in MacKay (1959)MacKay (1959):
MacKay, M. R. 1959. Larvae of the North American Olethreutidae (Lepidoptera). Canadian Entomologist, Supplement 10: 1-338..

Similar Species

In North America, Spilonota ocellana is only likely to be confused with S. laricana, another European species introduced to eastern Canada. A genitalic dissection can be used to confirm identity of specimens.

Larvae can be separated based on the characters described in MacKay (1959)MacKay (1959):
MacKay, M. R. 1959. Larvae of the North American Olethreutidae (Lepidoptera). Canadian Entomologist, Supplement 10: 1-338., which include host (polyphagous in S. ocellana, but restricted to Larix and other conifers in S. laricana), the development of anal fork (weakly-developed in S. ocellana, well-developed in S. laricana), and the color of the pinaculapinacula:
flattened sclerotized plates on a caterpillar that bear the setae
 (darker than body in S. ocellana, concolorous with body in S. laricana).

Biology

The following account is summarized from Chapman & Lienk (1971).

Spilonota ocellana completes a single generation per year. Adults are present June to August.

Females lay eggs singly on leaves. Newly hatched larvae feed primarily on leaves. Third instar larvae construct a hibernaculum, often in a spur crotch, where they overwinter. Feeding resumes in early spring on fruiting buds, leaves, and blossoms, with larvae forming a tubular chamber between leaves or in a rolled leaf. Pupation occurs in a leaf nest near the feeding site.

Spilonota ocellana is a pest in orchards, with apple (Malus) and cherry (Prunus) being preferred hosts.

Host plant Host plant family Reference(s)
Rhus sp. Anacardiaceae 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.
Alnus glutinosa Betulaceae Bradley et al. 1979Bradley et al. 1979:
Bradley, J. D., Tremewan, W. G., Smith, A. 1979. British Tortricoid Moths, Tortricidae: Olethreutinae. The Ray Society, London. 336 pp.; Jaros & Spitzer 2002
Alnus japonica Betulaceae Park 1983bPark 1983b:
Park, K. T. 1983b. Microlepidoptera of Korea. Insecta Koreana. 3: 8-24.
Alnus sp. Betulaceae Disque 1908Disque 1908:
Disque, H. 1908. Versuch einer microlepidopterologischen Botanik. Deutsch Entomologische Zeitschrift Iris. 21: 34-147.
Betula pubescens Betulaceae Disque 1908Disque 1908:
Disque, H. 1908. Versuch einer microlepidopterologischen Botanik. Deutsch Entomologische Zeitschrift Iris. 21: 34-147.
Betula sp. 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.
Carpinus betulus Betulaceae Bradley et al. 1979Bradley et al. 1979:
Bradley, J. D., Tremewan, W. G., Smith, A. 1979. British Tortricoid Moths, Tortricidae: Olethreutinae. The Ray Society, London. 336 pp.
Hippophae rhamnoides Elaeagnaceae Bradley et al. 1979Bradley et al. 1979:
Bradley, J. D., Tremewan, W. G., Smith, A. 1979. British Tortricoid Moths, Tortricidae: Olethreutinae. The Ray Society, London. 336 pp.
Kalmia sp. Ericaceae Heinrich 1923bHeinrich 1923b:
Heinrich, C. 1923b. Revision of the North American moths of the subfamily Eucosminae of the family Olethreutidae. Bulletin of the United States National Museum. 123: 1-298.; MacKay 1959MacKay 1959:
MacKay, M. R. 1959. Larvae of the North American Olethreutidae (Lepidoptera). Canadian Entomologist, Supplement 10: 1-338.
Euphorbia paralias Euphorbiaceae Bradley et al. 1979Bradley et al. 1979:
Bradley, J. D., Tremewan, W. G., Smith, A. 1979. British Tortricoid Moths, Tortricidae: Olethreutinae. The Ray Society, London. 336 pp.
Quercus garryana 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.
Quercus robur Fagaceae Disque 1908Disque 1908:
Disque, H. 1908. Versuch einer microlepidopterologischen Botanik. Deutsch Entomologische Zeitschrift Iris. 21: 34-147.
Quercus sp. Fagaceae Heinrich 1923bHeinrich 1923b:
Heinrich, C. 1923b. Revision of the North American moths of the subfamily Eucosminae of the family Olethreutidae. Bulletin of the United States National Museum. 123: 1-298.; MacKay 1959MacKay 1959:
MacKay, M. R. 1959. Larvae of the North American Olethreutidae (Lepidoptera). Canadian Entomologist, Supplement 10: 1-338.; Bradley et al. 1979Bradley et al. 1979:
Bradley, J. D., Tremewan, W. G., Smith, A. 1979. British Tortricoid Moths, Tortricidae: Olethreutinae. The Ray Society, London. 336 pp.
Juglans sp. Juglandaceae Park 1983bPark 1983b:
Park, K. T. 1983b. Microlepidoptera of Korea. Insecta Koreana. 3: 8-24.; Byun et al. 1998Byun et al. 1998:
Byun, B., Bae, Y., Park, K. 1998. Illustrated catalogue of Tortricidae of Korea (Lepidoptera). In : Park, K.-T. (ed.), Insects of Korea [2]. Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology amp; Center for Insect Systematics. 317 pp.
Myrica gale Myricaceae Bradley et al. 1979Bradley et al. 1979:
Bradley, J. D., Tremewan, W. G., Smith, A. 1979. British Tortricoid Moths, Tortricidae: Olethreutinae. The Ray Society, London. 336 pp.
Larix kaempferi Pinaceae Park 1983bPark 1983b:
Park, K. T. 1983b. Microlepidoptera of Korea. Insecta Koreana. 3: 8-24.
Larix sp. Pinaceae Heinrich 1923bHeinrich 1923b:
Heinrich, C. 1923b. Revision of the North American moths of the subfamily Eucosminae of the family Olethreutidae. Bulletin of the United States National Museum. 123: 1-298.; MacKay 1959MacKay 1959:
MacKay, M. R. 1959. Larvae of the North American Olethreutidae (Lepidoptera). Canadian Entomologist, Supplement 10: 1-338.; 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.
Rumex obtusifolius Polygonaceae Bradley et al. 1979Bradley et al. 1979:
Bradley, J. D., Tremewan, W. G., Smith, A. 1979. British Tortricoid Moths, Tortricidae: Olethreutinae. The Ray Society, London. 336 pp.
Chaenomeles speciosa 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.
Crataegus rhipidophylla Rosaceae Disque 1908Disque 1908:
Disque, H. 1908. Versuch einer microlepidopterologischen Botanik. Deutsch Entomologische Zeitschrift Iris. 21: 34-147.
Crataegus sp. Rosaceae Heinrich 1923bHeinrich 1923b:
Heinrich, C. 1923b. Revision of the North American moths of the subfamily Eucosminae of the family Olethreutidae. Bulletin of the United States National Museum. 123: 1-298.; MacKay 1959MacKay 1959:
MacKay, M. R. 1959. Larvae of the North American Olethreutidae (Lepidoptera). Canadian Entomologist, Supplement 10: 1-338.; 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.; Bradley et al. 1979Bradley et al. 1979:
Bradley, J. D., Tremewan, W. G., Smith, A. 1979. British Tortricoid Moths, Tortricidae: Olethreutinae. The Ray Society, London. 336 pp.
Cydonia sp. Host plant table (embedded)

View full screen host table here

Distribution

Spilonota ocellana is present in all apple growing regions of the northern hemisphere. It was introduced into North America from Europe sometime before 1840 and now occurs across southern Canada and the northern United States, ranging as far south as North Carolina, Ohio, and California.

Links

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