Cenopis lamberti (Franclemont)

Eiseman, Charles S., Austin, Kyhl A., Blyth, Julia A. & Feldman, Tracy S., 2020, New records of leaf-mining Tortricidae (Lepidoptera) in North America, with the description of a new species of Grapholita, Zootaxa 4748 (3), pp. 514-530 : 525-528

Cenopis lamberti (Franclemont)

( Figs. 48–53 )

Material examined. NORTH CAROLINA: Scotland Co. , Laurinburg, St. Andrews University, 23.viii.2016, em. 27.ix.2016 , T.S. Feldman , ex Symplocos tinctoria , # CSE3014 (1♀, CUIC).

Host. Symplocaceae : Symplocos tinctoria (L.) L’Hér. Powell & Brown (2012) noted one record of this species being reared from a larva collected on Persea Mill. (Lauraceae) in Mississippi. Confirmation of this host would be desirable, since Symplocos could easily be mistaken for Persea . Our record is supported by two additional specimens from North Carolina in the USNM, reared by Bo Sullivan from S. tinctoria (J. Brown, in litt.).

Biology. Nothing has been published previously about the larval habits of this species beyond the rearing record from Persea cited above. Our specimen was collected as a leaf-tying larva on 23 August and the adult emerged on 27 September. We believe that empty mines found on nearby Symplocos leaves were made by early instars of C. lamberti . We have found these mines several times in North and South Carolina, but the only occupied examples were found at St. Andrews University on 29 June 2016. These larvae exited their mines by 3 July and proceeded to feed between tied leaves until at least 2 August, but we were unable to rear them to adults. The presumed C. lamberti mines are white and full-depth, mostly 10–15 mm long (rarely up to ~ 4 cm), sometimes branching, and may be ~ 1 mm wide throughout or may widen to ~ 3 mm. Each begins with a round hole in the lower epidermis, through which most frass is expelled and through which the larva ultimately exits. Some of the minute fecal pellets are caught in webbing on the lower leaf surface.

Powell & Brown (2012) stated that capture records of C. lamberti suggest two broods. Adults have been collected from late May through early September, with most records from June through August, and with a single record from October.

Comments. Although there are apparently no previous records of leafmining in Sparganothini , we have confirmed it in Sparganothis xanthoides (discussed below), which forms similar mines to those found on Symplocos . Larvae of this tribe are typically external feeders within silk-lined shelters on foliage or inflorescences ( Powell & Brown 2012), as was the case with older larvae of both species discussed here.

Figures

FIGURES 48–53. Cenopis lamberti. 48: Four old mines on a leaf of Symplocos tinctoria; 49: Same mines viewed from lower surface; 50: Three fresh mines; 51: Same mines viewed from lower surface, with frass deposits along midrib; 52: Pupal exuviae; 53: Reared adult female.