Xenotemna pallorana

Type

Native

Taxonomy

Xenotemna pallorana (Robinson) (Tortricidae: Tortricinae: Archipini)

Synonyms: lata (Tortrix)

Adult Recognition

FWL: 8.5-14.0 mm

Forewing color varies from pale yellow to cream to light brown. Many individuals are unmarked although some exhibit a faint reticulated forewing pattern. Males lack a forewing costal foldforewing costal fold:
a flap or fold at the base of the forewing that contains specialized sex scales
. Hindwings are brownish gray, white, or yellowish.

Male genitalia are characterized by a quadrate uncusuncus:
a sclerotized process which is fused to the posterodorsal margin of tergum IX
with two short conical projections at the apicoventral corners; a robust gnathosgnathos:
a narrow bandlike structure that joins the posterolateral edges of the tegumen and supports the anal tube
; and membranous valvaevalvae:
plural of "valva"
. Female genitalia are characterized by a simple sterigmasterigma:
the sclerotized region surrounding the female ostium bursae
and signumsignum:
a sclerotized projection or patch on the interior of the corpus bursae
present as a scobinatescobinate:
rasplike
patch 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 (1962a).

Mature larva approximately 16-28 mm in length; width of head 1.4-1.5 mm; head, prothoracic shieldprothoracic shield:
a sclerotized plate on the dorsal surface of the prothorax
green, unmarked; abdomen green; anal fork present with 7-9 teeth; SV group on A1, 2, 7, 8, 9 numbering 3:3:3:2:2.

Detailed figures of larval chaetotaxychaetotaxy:
the arrangement of setae (in reference to Lepidoptera larvae), often depicted on a "setal map"
are available in MacKay (1962a).

Similar Species

Adults are similar to Clepsis clemensiana and the two species are often mixed in collections. Males can be separated by the forewing costal foldforewing costal fold:
a flap or fold at the base of the forewing that contains specialized sex scales
, which is present in C. clemensiana and absent in X. pallorana. A genitalic dissection can be used to confirm identity.

The unmarked larvae of X. pallorana may appear similar to those of many other Archipini.

Biology

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

Xenotemna pallorana completes two annual generations over much of its range. Adults are present May to August. Females lay eggs in masses on the upper surface of leaves. Larvae feed in folded leaves and mid-instar larvae construct a hibernaculum in which overwintering occurs. Feeding resumes in the spring and pupation occurs in the final larval feeding site.

Chapman & Lienk (1971) suggest that primary larval hosts are limited to herbaceous legumes such as alfalfa and white sweet clover. Other larval hosts, such as apple, are considered secondary hosts. Xenotemna pallorana has also been reported to cause economic injury to young pines in plantations.

Host plant	Host plant family	Reference(s)
Aster sp.	Asteraceae	MacKay 1962aMacKay 1962a: MacKay, M. R. 1962a. Larvae of the North American Tortricinae (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Canadian Entomologist, Supplement 28: 1-182.; Godfrey et al. 1987Godfrey et al. 1987: Godfrey, G. L., Cashatt, E. D., Glenn, M. O. 1987. Microlepidoptera from the Sandy Creek and Illinois River Region: A annotated checklist of the suborders Dacnonypha, Monotrysia, and Ditrysia (in part) (Insecta). Spec. Publ. 7. Illinois Natural History Survey.
Erigeron annuus	Asteraceae	LACM IndexLACM Index: LACM Index. Records from the card file at the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, Los Angeles, California; transcribed by Gaeden Robinson (BMNH).
Silphium sp.	Asteraceae	Forbes 1923Forbes 1923: Forbes, W. M. T. 1923. The Lepidoptera of New York and neighboring states. Primitive forms, Microlepidoptera, Pyraloids, Bombyces. Cornell Univ. Argic. Exp. Sta., Mem. 68. 729 pp.
Solidago sp.	Asteraceae	LACM IndexLACM Index: LACM Index. Records from the card file at the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, Los Angeles, California; transcribed by Gaeden Robinson (BMNH).
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae	Asteraceae	LACM IndexLACM Index: LACM Index. Records from the card file at the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, Los Angeles, California; transcribed by Gaeden Robinson (BMNH).
Hypericum perforatum	Clusiaceae	Sandberg & Passoa 1989
Medicago sativa	Fabaceae	LACM IndexLACM Index: LACM Index. Records from the card file at the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, Los Angeles, California; transcribed by Gaeden Robinson (BMNH).; Dean 1928Dean 1928: Dean, G. A. 1928. Tortrix pallorana on alfalfa. Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Report 28.; Smith et al. 1943Smith et al. 1943: Smith, R. C., Kelly, E. G., Dean, G. A., Bryson, H. R., Parker, R. L. 1943. Common insects of Kansas. Kansas State Board of Agriculture Quarterly Report. 62: 226.; Snow & McClellan 1951; MacKay 1962aMacKay 1962a: MacKay, M. R. 1962a. Larvae of the North American Tortricinae (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Canadian Entomologist, Supplement 28: 1-182.
Melilotus officinalis	Fabaceae	LACM IndexLACM Index: LACM Index. Records from the card file at the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, Los Angeles, California; transcribed by Gaeden Robinson (BMNH).
Melilotus sp.	Fabaceae	MacKay 1962aMacKay 1962a: MacKay, M. R. 1962a. Larvae of the North American Tortricinae (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Canadian Entomologist, Supplement 28: 1-182.
Trifolium sp.	Fabaceae	LACM IndexLACM Index: LACM Index. Records from the card file at the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, Los Angeles, California; transcribed by Gaeden Robinson (BMNH).
Monarda fistulosa	Lamiaceae	LACM IndexLACM Index: LACM Index. Records from the card file at the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, Los Angeles, California; transcribed by Gaeden Robinson (BMNH).
Picea glauca	Pinaceae	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.
Pinus banksiana	Pinaceae	McDaniel 1936McDaniel 1936: McDaniel, E. I. 1936. Amelia ( Tortrix ) pallorana Robinson attacks Pinus sp. Journal of Economic Entomology. 29: 1175.
Pinus resinosa	Pinaceae	McDaniel 1936McDaniel 1936: McDaniel, E. I. 1936. Amelia ( Tortrix ) pallorana Robinson attacks Pinus sp. Journal of Economic Entomology. 29: 1175.
Pinus strobus	Pinaceae	McDaniel 1936McDaniel 1936: McDaniel, E. I. 1936. Amelia ( Tortrix ) pallorana Robinson attacks Pinus sp. Journal of Economic Entomology. 29: 1175.
Pinus sylvestris	Pinaceae	McDaniel 1936McDaniel 1936: McDaniel, E. I. 1936. Amelia ( Tortrix ) pallorana Robinson attacks Pinus sp. Journal of Economic Entomology. 29: 1175.; Martin 1958Martin 1958: Martin, J. L. 1958. Observations on the biology of certain tortricids in young coniferous plantations in southern Ontario. Canadian Entomologist. 90: 44-53.
Pinus sp.	Pinaceae	Martin 1958Martin 1958: Martin, J. L. 1958. Observations on the biology of certain tortricids in young coniferous plantations in southern Ontario. Canadian Entomologist. 90: 44-53.
Fragaria sp.	Rosaceae	Smith 1941Smith 1941: Smith, W. W. 1941. A new leaf roller on strawberry. Journal of Economic Entomology. 34: 323.
Malus sp.	Rosaceae	Newcomer & Carlson 1952
Prunus pumila	Rosaceae	LACM IndexLACM Index: LACM Index. Records from the card file at the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, Los Angeles, California; transcribed by Gaeden Robinson (BMNH).
Prunus serotina	Rosaceae	LACM IndexLACM Index: LACM Index. Records from the card file at the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, Los Angeles, California; transcribed by Gaeden Robinson (BMNH).
Prunus virginiana	Rosaceae