A new species of Histura Razowski (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Polyorthini) from Guatemala attacking avocados (Persea americana) Lauraceae

Authors: Brown, John; HODDLE, MARK - UNIV. OF CA, RIVERSIDE

Submitted to: Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/1/2008
Publication Date: 2/19/2010
Citation: Brown, J.W., Hoddle, M.S. 2010. A new species of Histura Razowski (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Polyorthini) from Guatemala attacking avocados (Persea americana) Lauraceae. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 112(1):10-21.

Interpretive Summary: The caterpillars of moths known as leaf-rollers are important pests of agricultural, ornamental, and forest plants, inflicting millions of dollars of damage each year. This paper describes a new species of leaf-roller moth that is an important pest of avocados in Guatemala. Owing to the movement of this commodity throughout North America, the potential is high for the inadvertent introduction of this species into U.S. avocado producing areas. This information will be of interest to avocado producers, APHIS-PPQ, and other action agencies whose goal is the detection and exclusion of invasive species at U.S. ports-of-entry.

Technical Abstract: Histura perseavora Brown, new species, is described and illustrated from Guatemala. It is compared with Histura curvata (Meyrick) (from Brazil) and Histurodes costaricana Razowski (from Costa Rica). All specimens of H. perseavora were reared from either fruit, fruit pedicels, or young green branches of avocados (Persea americana Mill. Lauraceae) during efforts to identify lepidopteran pests of this commodity in Guatemala. Coincidentally, we discovered museum specimens of Histurodes costaricana reared from avocados in Costa Rica. We present a brief review of the fragmentary knowledge of the larval stages of Polyorthini, the tribe to which the new species, H. perseavora, is assigned.